


Loose Ends

by Halcy (halcyonweekend)



Series: Divergence [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Awkwardness, F/M, First Kiss, Yearning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2019-12-26 17:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18287213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyonweekend/pseuds/Halcy
Summary: (DMC5 Spoilers) A scenario in which Dante actually escapes from hell successfully. Everything is figured out and wrapped up while he's gone, except for one thing, a loose end that he left untied due to his own cluelessness but also from his hesitation and fear to be honest with himself, and with her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so despite being a fan of these games forever i've never actually written fic for it lol, anyway dmc2 was my first and lucia is my wife so i decided to be self-indulgent again, sorry if characterization is all over the place, also pacing, and literally anything else 😔 
> 
> anyway hope u enjoy, this is for the 5 lucia fans in the world 😌

Though his brother's pride normally prohibited otherwise, Dante had arrived at the Devil May Cry offices with an unconscious Vergil by his side, and a blood trail that stretched for miles. After what seemed to be an eternity, the Qliphoth finally fell, and they figured their final chance of escape fell with it. 

That is until Dante remembered a key detail that seemed to slip both their minds at the time: the Yamato could open a portal to and from the demon world, which meant escaping was as easy as two strokes of the blade.

Vergil seemed deadset on continuing their combat, however. They had once again tied, and he demanded another tiebreaker.

"How about we make this a little more spicy?" Dante twirled his namesake around, a grin creeping up.

"And how do you propose we do that?" 

"Yamato...you remember what it can do right?" He pantomimed opening a portal with his own blade. "If I win the next one, you get us outta here and back to Red Grave."

Vergil looked over at the sword, eyes widening. It was one of the incredibly rare times that he let out a laugh. "And here I was so caught in making up for lost time..."

"So how's about it, big bro?" He held his fists up, punching the air.

"Deal." He nudged the sword from its sheath.

Patty's shrill screams could shatter windows, had there been any left intact. She berated them both as he dragged their bodies along, upset that they had ruined her freshly mopped floors.

Trish, keen to the sound, had followed soon after. Flying through the door, she readied a bolt of lightning at would-be attackers. The scene she came across caused her to pause, holding back a laugh as she did. 

"You left us all alone without even a call! A letter? Anything at all! We thought you died!" Patty thwacked him in the head with a dustpan, tears quickly forming in her eyes.

Lady came soon after, Kalina Ann 2 aimed squarely at their heads. "What the hell...?"

Dante could barely acknowledge the goings-on around him, opting instead to gently place his older brother's body on a nearby couch. As he turned to the others, now dumbfounded, he gave a small smile before falling forward, unconscious before he hit the ground.

Vergil was the first to wake up, to the feeling of something soft grazing his cheeks. Opening his eyes, he was assailed by a feather duster. Swatting it away, he heard someone gasp and something hit the ground. Before he could discern the source, they were gone.

Patty returned to the room, with an exhausted Nero in tow. "I-I think I woke him up!"

"Where...am I...?" Vergil gently rubbed his eyes.

"The Devil May Cry office..." Nero pulled a nearby chair and placed it by the sofa on which Vergil sat. "How...how did you guys even get back anyway? I thought you guys would be stuck in hell forever."

"I can answer that," Dante said as he sat up, yawning. He had been laid on the floor near the jukebox. "Vergil lost a bet, and we were able to use Yamato to slice a portal out of here."

"Dante!" Patty yelled and ran to embrace him. Standing up, he held a hand out, pushing Patty's head back. "Hey!" Her arms helplessly wiggled towards him. 

"Anyway, after we got out of there, we were pretty damn tired. I guess hell makes everything hurt a bit less, I dunno. Vergil bowed out before we could get here." He cracked his neck. "You're a lot heavier than I remembered, Verg."

The older twin glared at him. "I see." He stood up, determined to walk out the door, but his legs failed him, causing him to fall back onto the couch. "Damn it..."

"Are Lady and Trish home?' Patty and Nero shook their heads. 

"They're out on a job, but they should be back sometime soon." Nero grabbed a magazine off the floor and began mindlessly thumbing through it. "They weren't too happy to see you two though."

Dante laughed. "Naw, I didn't think so."

After all was said and done, once Trish and Lady returned, they were convinced to let Dante and Vergil stay for a few days. Patty was the one who vouched for Dante the loudest. 

After a couple of weeks, he began to feel like he was intruding. The deed to the place was theirs (and Morrison's) now. Before, he wouldn't have even given it a second thought, but after escaping, he felt like there was so much left for him out there. He thought he would be stuck in hell for the rest of his and Vergil's lives, but being given a second chance with everyone caused him to pause. 

With all that happened in the past few months (as far as he remembered), there was a single loose end, one he wanted to resolve before this all happened. He would have done it sooner, but the mission was always his first priority.

"Dante!" A familiar voice woke him from his nap, one Sunday afternoon. "I didn't think Lady and Trish were pulling my leg, but I had to see it with my very own eyes..."

"If you're here about a job, I'll let the ladies know you stopped by." A magazine rested on his face, and he didn't seem too keen on taking it off.

"Too good for my jobs nowadays?" Morrison laughed.

With a huff, he tossed the magazine aside. "Just pretend I'm not here, pretend me and Vergil never got out and nothing's changed."

"45's pretty young to retire, Dante..."

"I'd say I've earned it..."

"Well...let the girls know if they need some more cash, I'm just a call away." He placed his hat on his chest. "You enjoy yourself, you hear?"

"No promises." He smirked. "But I have a feeling we'll be in touch again soon...it's time for me to claim some of those benefits you promised."

"It's a date then!" Morrison laughed as he walked out the door.

With nearly everything resolved in Red Grave, there was just one more issue he needed to take care of. After a lot of convincing, and just a bit more bloodshed, he brought Vergil over to Kyrie and Nero. Unlike Dante, he was taking a lot longer to recover, most likely from his experiment with Yamato. Nero wasn't too pleased, but Kyrie seemed delighted. 

She brought out some tea for the three of them, pouring it out a ceramic turtle-shaped teapot, placing a small plate of sugar cubes next to the cups. "Does anyone want milk?"

"It's fine, Kyrie, thanks." Nero gave her a quick peck and the cheek, and smiled as she took her leave, his glance lingering until Dante cleared his throat.

Vergil placed a single cube in his tea before stirring it, paying no mind to the other two.

"So...how long do you two plan on crashing? Space is...kinda limited. Nico's got her van so it's not as cramped, but we barely have space for each other, especially with the kids here." 

"Well...the plan is we stay here, until he's got enough strength to take care of himself. After that, I've got some business to take care of, so we'll be out of your hair soon."

Nero looked at Vergil, who looked at him briefly, then averted his gaze, with a small smile. "Unfortunately, Dante was the victor of another wager..."

"Listen...as long as you keep your shit tidy, and you two don't fuckin' brawl in the backyard...then fine. Stay as long as you need to, but not another second more." Nero knocked back the tea in a single gulp, despite it still being somewhat hot. 

"And you do not disrespect Kyrie." His eyes began to glow, and his voice began to layer.. "I will throw you both back into hell myself if I hear you've upset her."

"Hoo, intense..." Dante plucked a sugar cube and popped it into his mouth. "Don't worry about us, kid."

Much to his surprise, about a week later, Dante had left. With a wave, a suitcase, and Dr. Faust resting on his head, he slipped out the door before Kyrie could make some coffee for the road.

Nero sprinted out after him. "Hey, old man! What about Vergil?"

"Take care of him for me until I get back, I owe ya one, kid!" He sprinted backwards up the hill, waving the hat.

"Hey! What the fuck, wait!" But by the time he made it to the top, Dante was long gone.

It took some pulling strings, some phone calls, and a lot more nagging at Morrison, but he finally managed to catch a ship to Dumary Island.

Even thought it couldn't have been more than a couple months, it felt like an eternity since he had made his way there. He stood at the ship's deck, resting with arms crossed against the railing. Seagulls were crying, waves crashed against the bow, and the sun's light was only beginning to shine, despite no sign of it peeking over the horizon. Dante took a sharp inhale, the salty air filling his lungs. It was cleansing, after the stench of the Qliphoth's rotten trash clogging up his airways for the entirety of his mission. 

Normally, there was always someone on these vessels wanting to strike up a conversation, or even worse, want to play a game of poker. Luckily for him, the only others on the ship, aside from its crew, were a few strangers that kept to themselves. 

Not long after, the ship made it to port. 

Whenever he dreamed, no matter what happened, he always saw the village. With tall, warped. cramped buildings, a street that seemed to stretch on forever, covered by a thick fog, and a dulled light from a rising sun, he wondered why anyone would want to live in such a soul-sucking place.

Stepping onto the harbor, he remembered the discussion he had with Matier only a few paces away. All he could do was play dumb and distant for her, as he wasn't a fan of someone matchmaking on his behalf, even if they meant well. As he made his plans, he was tempted to let her know beforehand, as to not be rude, but he loathed the thought of Matier tempering her expectations before he had the chance to speak to her.

Walking around, he noticed the village was more populated than he last remembered, with actual people running around, a few market stalls being set up, and small children playing in the more open areas, some playing ball, others playing jump rope. A few glances were thrown his way, and a few whispers came from nosy old ladies, but no one seemed to bother him otherwise.

Though walking down the main streets was perfectly fine, he chose to dart around into side streets and alleyways, habits from his first time here refusing to go away. Despite that, it took him longer than he expected, and when he finally reached the outskirts of the estate, he heard a voice behind him. 

"Oho...a familiar face. And here I thought I'd seen the last of you." He had hoped to reach there without the old woman's interference, but he could only be so lucky.

"You wish..." He smiled as if he had been caught red-handed.

Matier shuffled towards him, pulling her scarf tight as a strong breeze came across. "And here I thought I had scared you off the last time...but maybe you truly are man enough to--"

"With all due respect, granny, I don't need your help with whatever it is you think I'm here for. I just want to talk to her. I didn't have the time to last time, so I'd appreciate if you just let me go on ahead." He didn't enjoy being so open but he figured directness was the only way.

She chuckled, continuing her walk forward. "Even if I had the strength to stop you, I couldn't, not with such a plea."

"Where is she?"

Matier gestured up, a small alcove where the houses came together by the cliff-side. It was once a vantage point for those to see the rest of the village, but had long since been abandoned.

He nodded and turned to make his way up, but before he could, she spoke, her voice softer. "She's a good girl, a strong girl, with a big heart. But...still, be gentle."

He didn't turn back. "Of course."

 

Lucia couldn't get it out of her head. She could still hear the crack, she could still see the shattered shards, like glitter, from Cerberus. The eruption of smoke, her heart nearly bursting through her rib cage, terrified that it would be the end.

She threw a few jabs, bits of straw falling out of the dummy. 

Thought it was foolish of her to think so. Dante had taken out demons much stronger than Balrog, she knew that, if nothing else. Yet, when she couldn't see him in that split second, a feeling in the pit of her stomach screamed when her mouth failed her.

She opened her fists and slapped the straw dummy in frustration, her voice cracking, "Idiot..." Her throat clenched. She was always too weak, she would always fall behind, she always had to be rescued. 

In the time between Dante's descent into, and return from Hell, Lucia had been doing her best to get stronger. She had been training day in and day out, whether it was sparring with her makeshift dummies, or taking jobs around the island. Though the bulk of the demons had been driven out by Dante, there were still pockets of them left, and when there weren't, the people still needed protecting. She figured out quickly it wasn't a lucrative job, but it had been enough to sustain her and Matier. While Balrog had been disperesed, she knew she had to get strong enough for whatever else may come, and that she wouldn't need help from anyone ever again.

Giving some distance between her and the dummy, she readied a kick, swinging her leg with all her might. Just as she did, a loud rustle was heard before her.

"Hoo, if you swung that any harder, you might've taken off my head!" Dante caught her leg, giving it a quick pat before lowering it, a grin plastered on his face.

Instinctively, she hopped back, fists up, ready to strike. It took a few moments before she realized it was him. The faded red coat, the stark white platinum hair, the blade's pommel sticking out from his back. She chided herself for not reacting sooner, but there was so much different about him. His hair was much longer, his face more ragged, his bright blue eyes now dulled. It hadn't been that long, but he looked as if he had been through several lifetimes of stress. 

Still, she straightened her form, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Dante..."

"And here I almost thought you forgot!" He winked.

It couldn't have been that long, but she looked healthier in comparison. She was covered in a light sheen of sweat, the light bouncing off it giving her a gentle glow. Her bright red hair was up in a tight braid, which was held with a bun. He had grown so accustomed to her outfit of choice, that her black tank top and grey sweats made him think he was mistaken. As he looked into her eyes, bright emeralds, widened in surprise, he knew he wasn't.

Her heart swelled, but something she couldn't quite put her finger on, clouded her joy. So rather than run to embrace him again, as she desperately desired, she kept her distance, walking a half circle around him, grabbing a half-empty water bottle off the ground. "What brings you back here? No major demon has risen during your absence, so..." She trailed off, struggling to even open the bottle.

"Here for fun, not for business." He placed his suitcase on the ground. "Red Grave City's nice and all, but I don't think I took in enough of the sights here. Last I remember, there wasn't much to take in, with whats-his-name warping the island and all." He extended his hand, offering to help.

She turned away from him, finally opening it up and taking a few gulps. "Am I to be your tour guide once more?" It surprised even her how cold she sounded.

"Woah, sensing some bad vibes here, did I come at a bad time?" He crossed his arms, the grin never fading. She couldn't tell if he was mocking her or not, it stung either way.

"Did Matier put you up to this....again?" She remembered the conversation they had after Dante had returned to Red Grave City. Matier, without an ounce of shame, mentioned that she had suggested Dante and Lucia spend more...personal time together. She remembered embarrassment bubbling from her chest, the blush coming over her face that the other had misinterpreted. The fact that it was brought up in her absence made it hurt so much more...it was no wonder he had played dumb during their last mission.

"She's a nice old lady, but man she loves sticking her nose in other's business..." He wrinkled his nose. "No, she didn't put me up to anything, I wouldn't let her."

She didn't believe him, she figured this was his way of showing pity. She was a nothing, a nobody, a shell of being, why would he ever care? "Then there is nothing left for you here. We've no jobs that we ourselves cannot handle."

"I can tell!" He placed a foot on the case, resting a hand on his knee. "I didn't mean to interrupt ya, you seemed to be handing yourself against this thing just fine." He gestured at the dummy.

Her nails dug into her palms. "Is that so...?" She crossed her arms. "Stationary targets are all well and good, but I think maybe I should practice on a target with more...life to it." She figured this was as close to him as she could get.

"Oho...? We can have some fun then, if you want." He placed his sword aside, holding his hands up. "But don't go easy on me."

Lucia charged him. Immediately, he fired back with a few blows to keep her distance. She weaved around them, using the small gaps to get some quick gut shots in. 

Her facade of indifference began to crack with each successful strike. Already, he could feel some genuine anger behind the blows, and while they wouldn't be enough to do serious damage, he could already begin to feel sore. 

The more she successfully countered, the harder her blows became. Not only that, but the speed of her assault increased as well. Dante was beginning to lose the rhythm he built with blocking most of her punches and kicks. Each hit delivered her rage, each deflection channeled her sadness, and combined with her demon power, she hit quickly and relentlessly. 

The taunting smile he normally held against an enemy faded quickly, as this seemed less like a friendly spar, and more like she was expressing herself in a way that mere words could not.

He went from taking most of the strikes to parrying all them, each deflected blow opening up a larger and larger window of opportunity. As she took a step back to recover, she saw the shadows of his movements, but it was too late. He charged with his forearm raised, knocking her off balance.

It was such a simple act, and he even did it to make sure he wouldn't hurt her more than he could have, yet in tha moment, something in her activated. Just as he pulled back, he felt something sharp graze his arm. Peeking above it, he saw Lucia in her feathery glory, fingers curled, her wings flapping gently. A talon of hers had barely got him. 

"That serious, huh?" He murmured, before activating his Devil Trigger in kind. 

This time, she was more strategic in her assault, backing off to fire some ranged attacks as she darted around his summoned swords. She knew if she could outlast him, then she could regain the upper hand, and she was almost right...almost.

Dante normally would have a fun clash between forms, but this was anything but, and he refused anything that could seriously hurt her. "I think it's time for this to end." He called out before a blade materialized, stabbing him in the stomach.

"No!" She cried, flying towards him, arms outstretched. 

But before she could reach him, a burst of energy flung her back. As the smoke cleared, something stood before her that was unrecognizable. She took one look at his new form, his own leathery wings outstretched, which doubled hers, teeth as sharp as razors, eyes burning than the hottest of fires, and darted away, speeding off towards the horizon. 

He figured this was as good a time to show it off, but it had the opposite reaction he was hoping for. "Hey, wait!" He called out before giving chase, an arm reaching forward, grasping at a specter of where she was. 

She weaved past chimneys, not sure of where she was going, but something screamed in her to get away for reasons she couldn't understand. Tears were streaming down already, clouding her vision. He was too powerful, and she was too weak, and she always would be. Before she knew it, she had already neared the island's coast. 

Dante was hot on her trail, and flew above the small buildings, rather than around. He too neared the coast, and lowered his altitude to match hers. He wanted to call out again, but also wanted to see how far she'd go. Past the island was nothing but the sea.

As she flew above the sand, in her distress, she realized her Devil Trigger could not maintain itself and deactivated, With that, she fell, careening towards the blue below, arms at her sides, eyes shut tight.

He didn't know why she was acting like this, but he figured he was at fault for it. There was playing dumb, but he felt he missed so much, and what he missed may have been why she fled. 

Before she hit the ground, Dante swooped underneath, arms catching her over the water, although in a somewhat awkward position. His own Devil Trigger was quickly running out, so he made a hard turn back, placing her gently on the beach before skidding across the sand.

After catching his breath, he shot up, cracking his fingers. "Whew! That was fun, huh?" 

She still lay there, arms now hugging herself. "How many more times..." She mumbled something he couldn't hear from that distance.

"Hm?"

She sat up, dusting the sand off, bringing her knees to her chest. "How many more times are you going to save me? How many more times will you have to come to my rescue before I finally learn?"

For once, he was at a loss for words. There was something weighing her down, and to his dismay, she still couldn't fully let him know. This was his fault for sure. Still, he tried to let her know that he was sorry, in his own way.

"There was no saving here...just a bit of fun, right? Unless you actually melt in water...then I suppose maybe I did." 

She ignored his attempt to lighten the mood. "Why did you come back here?"

"I..." Again, a loss for words. He called it a loose end, but it was clearly something more than that. He needed to be honest to himself, and more importantly to her.

In his hesitation, she stood up, dusting more sand off and turned to face him. "You what?"

He looked away, eyes widened. He didn't understand why this was so difficult. Closing his eyes and clearing his throat, he looked back at her. "I...wanted to see you again."

"What...?" Hands instinctively came to her chest, clasping together.

"I...missed you." He surprised himself as the words came out, but he couldn't help himself. "I wish I could have said something before but my mind really is on one-track. I was so busy thinking about the Yamato and Vergil, I couldn't think of anything else." He laughed nervously. "When Verg and I were stuck in hell, I thought about all the people I didn't think I'd ever see again." His voice lowered. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Stuck in hell...?" So much happened she couldn't even process it all at once.

"It's a long story." He paused. "But I'll tell you everything...if you'll let me." After an agonizing few moments, he decided to approach her first, but very slowly, afraid any misstep would cause her to flee again. She averted his gaze but stayed where she stood, a shaky hand rubbing her arm. Once he was a certain distance, he raised an arm, wanting to close the distance between them. She looked over at him, tears beginning to well in her eyes. 

Crashing into him, she wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could. He breathed a sigh of relief, gently hugging her. Lucia began sobbing in his arms, trying to apologize, but each word was cut off by another sob. Moving his hand up, he rested it on her head, gently petting her. 

The whole scene was a mess, he almost wanted to laugh. Instead he smiled. "Listen, you've got nothing to be sorry about." Her sobs continued for a bit longer before they finally subsided, becoming shaky breaths. "If anything, I should be sorry." 

When he felt it was safe enough to do so, he pulled her back just enough so they could meet each other's gaze. "I'm..." He huffed. "Not good with this sorta stuff. Never have been. Wouldn't be surprised if that's why I've had such shitty luck with women." He chuckled.

"Idiot..." She smacked his arm gently.

"You're right about that..." He chuckled.

They spent the rest of the day sitting by the water's edge, Dante going into detail about the Red Grave incident as she listened, enraptured.

There was one thing she yet didn't understand. "So...what was that form? Why did you stab yourself?" Tears began to resurface again.

"Oh...that. Well, long story short, no it doesn't hurt as much as you think, and when I do that I have a...I guess a second level of strength. Doesn't last long though, but it is pretty cool."

"A second level of strength..." She thought about the Majin form of Dante's she had seen those years ago, but it was nothing compared to what she caught a glimpse of. She wondered if there was any way she could unlock her own form. "I didn't get the chance to see it fully..."

"Do you want to see it again? Gotta promise not to run though, I'm not that scary."

She laughed and smiled, for the first time since he had arrived. "I will not run this time, I promise." 

He stood up and pulled her up in one smooth motion. "Okay, don't freak out, I know it looks bad but again, doesn't hurt too bad, plus its totally worth it." He summoned the Demon Sword Dante for a second before it plunged into his chest. She watched as another burst of energy came out, and once more the large form appeared. "Cool, huh?" He floated over to her, posing as he approached.

She couldn't help but reach out and touch his chest, he was burning to the touch. She reached over and grabbed his hand, marveling over the rough texture of his skin and claws so sharp he could have torn her to ribbons. She hugged him again, the heat sweltering. 

He couldn't help but fold his wings over her, a cocoon covering them both. She pulled back to look up at his face, eyes glowing with demonic flame, teeth like sharpened stone, two pairs of horns jutting from his head. She suddenly had an urge bubble up in her gut, and leaned up and forward, getting on her tippy-toes. Just as got close enough, the form dissipated, and he collapsed onto his knee, winded. She pulled back quickly, but knelt down with him, making sure he was alright.

"I forget that takes a bit out of me." He coughed.

"I'm sorry I made you do it twice already in such a short amount of time..." She was cursing her luck internally.

"It's too cool not to show off, don't sweat it." He grinned, sensing her embarrassment. He may have been a dumbass, but he wasn't blind.

She looked away. "It's getting late..." They had spent so much time talking, the sun was now hanging low in the sky, and the tides were beginning to rise.

Dante moved so he was sitting cross-legged on the sand, and shrugged off his coat. "We've still got daylight, there's no rush." 

"I suppose you're right..." She crawled over to take a seat next to him, bringing her knees to her chest.

There was a few moments of peaceful silence before he turned to look at her. She looked back at him, a blush beginning to form. She was able to take in his features now that her thoughts weren't clouded, and while he was always handsome, he had grown even more so in their time apart.

Lucia leaned forward, and Dante in kind, their lips only inches apart. His heart was pounding in his chest, a bead of sweat trailed down his neck, her chest tightened, she trembled slightly. Years of yearning culminated in a gentle kiss. It was only a second, but for the both of them, it felt like an eternity. He noticed how good she smelled, she noticed how his beard whiskers tickled her cheeks. As they pulled away, an inhale caught in his throat, and he pulled away to cough. She brought her fingers to her lips, still tingling.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"The pleasure is mine." He whispered back, smirking.

He gently placed an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned in, yawning. "I guess it is late, huh..."

"We'll be late to dinner...Matier will surely scold me..." But she made no sign of getting up. And so neither did he.


	2. Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night after he returned unannounced. Another sleepless night, but this one at least has enough distractions for it to be worth it, this time.

When Dante awoke, he could still feel the tingling on his lips. 

As he sat up, he looked around, his environments unfamiliar. He felt the urge to run, but as his eyesight grew accustomed to the darkness, he began to see everything. A hint of moonlight peeked through small windows. He could see faint outlines of paintings on the wall, little knicknacks hanging by nails, none of which he would've recognized, even with the lights on. 

As he looked around, he noticed a figure sleeping on the bed before him. It wasn't facing towards him, that much he knew. There was a mess of red hair, some sticking to the pillow, some flowing down the figure's back.

"No dream, huh..." He whispered, fingertips grazing his lips.

He thought truly that he'd wake up back in hell, alerted by the sounds of demons and the sounds of Vergil dispatching them left and right. It hadn't been nearly an eternity in the human world, but in hell, every second felt like a year. 

He could feel a headache coming on. Even though he had slept at the office, and slept in Fortuna, he could never sleep enough. Without fail, every night he'd wake, alert and ready to attack. Some nights he'd leave his bed, prowling for any would-be enemies. To his relief, he never found any, but the instinct hadn't dulled. He wondered if his aging human side had anything to do with feeling so exhausted all the time.

The figure made a sound and turned over, and he could see her face. He couldn't help but look away, as if he was intruding on something that wasn't meant for him. Curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but take a quick glance. Her lips were slightly parted, just as they had been before they kissed. Her hair, untied, was splayed all over the place, some of it covering parts of her face. Her eyes were closed, but behind eyelids, he knew their beauty was unchanged. 

He remembered how they looked when he had activated his Sin Devil Trigger, pangs of guilt hitting him. She was so scared. Lucia may have hurt him, but seeing fear from her was foreign to him, even more so fear directed towards him. The changes between them were becoming more and more apparent, and he wondered if one day they would be just too different.

"You too, huh?" Her voice, groggy, startled him.

"Still not used to sleepin' a full night I guess..."

"Same here..." She sighed and pulled her head up from her pillow, fluffing it up before slamming her head back down. "I get maybe five hours at most."

"I'd kill to get more than an hour of actual sleep."

"I'm sorry for the mat." He barely noticed he was even sleeping on one. "It was such short notice, and we don't have much..."

"I took a nap in the arms of a statue in some pit, this is a five-star hotel to me." He still remembered how stiff he felt after being woken up by V, like his joints were glued together and his muscles wound up tight. There was being almost stabbed by the human side of your twin brother while covered in blood, and there was being woken up like a relatively normal human being.

"Even so..." She was thankful for the darkness, as a suggestion crossed her mind. "Were there more beds we'd offer you those, or if there was any room on..." She coughed and cleared her throat.

Dante raised an eyebrow. "Normally I take a girl out to dinner first."

Lucia balled up a spare sheet and tossed it at him. "Not like that!" She was thankful the darkness covered her blush. 

He caught it and tossed it back to her, smirking. "Naw of course not, you could do a lot better."

"Well," She curled up into herself. "Maybe I don't want a lot better..." She mumbled.

"Hmm?" 

"Nothing..." Knowing she wasn't going to get anymore sleep anyway, she sat up, brushing her hair back. "So...what do you normally do when you can't sleep?"

"Walk around, maybe go to a bar and just stay there until the sun rises." She frowned at the mention of a bar. "I just grab whatever's sweetest and chug those down until I run up my tab." Laughing, he looked towards the moonlight. 

"I wonder how much you owe all those places..."

"Hey, I keep tthe streets safe enough that they can't kick me out on sight." He scratched his beard. "Though there have been plenty of debt collectors calling...probably unrelated."

"You're still so reckless..." She laughed quietly. 

He laughed as well. "What can I say? Always had a wild streak in me." He looked in her direction. "What about you?"

She shrugged. "Patrol the town if I feel I need to. Sometimes I'll stay by the harbor, see if anyone or anything suspicious comes in."

"No 'off' switch on you, huh? All business, all the time."

"And what do you mean by that?" She crossed her arms.

He turned his body to fully face her, looking up. "Do you ever go out just because? The city seems plenty safe to me."

She was startled, getting his complete attention like that. "I...don't really have time to do so. It's really just me. Some of the citizens help out, but I am the only one who is capable of dealing with demons. I know that you have Trish, and Lady, and Nero..." She trailed off.

"You got me there. Didn't realize how much backup I had...not that I need it." He scratched his cheek. "Well, if you wanna go on patrol tonight, I can..." He remembered yesterday after he had caught her from her drop. She didn't want to be rescued anymore, she made that loud and clear. "...be an extra set of eyes."

Lucia tilted her head before letting out another quiet laugh. "Well...I won't refuse your company." She slid from the bed, putting her slippers on. "Maybe tonight will be another quiet one." She walked over to a small bag, kneeled, and began digging through its contents. Soon she produced her trademark short white half-cape, a grey pinstripe 3/4 sleeve shirt, and matching pants.

As she walked over and laid them on her bed, she looked over at Dante, head nodding towards the door.

He smirked and stood up. "I'll be waiting outside then." He scooped his boots from beside the doorway, closing the door behind him.

About 15 minutes later, Dante could hear Lucia approaching behind him, the jingle of her throwing knives signalling her approach. "You ready?"

She walked up to his side, nodding. They walked together, side by side, heels clicking on cobblestone. "Did you notice anything amiss on the way here?"

"Nope, no demonic presence or anything."

"Do you feel anything right now?" He shook his head.

She sighed. "That's a relief...but even so, there's no telling what could change." 

They made it to the center of town about 20 minutes after. She pulled out a map of the city and a red marker. "We'll split up here."

"If you wanna split up, fine by me." Dante was a bit disappointed that they couldn't spend more time together, but even more so that he still had to work. He was here for pleasure, not business, after all.

She marked off a few locations before handing him the map. "You'll check these five spots, I'll check these six. Even if you don't sense anything, leave nothing unturned. When you're done, we'll rendezvous at the harbor. I know you didn't sense anything...but knowing you," She smirked. "You probably attracted some unwanted attention regardless."

"Story of my life." He snorted, stuffing the map into his pocket.

"Don't keep me waiting." She smiled, hopped up onto a nearby rooftop, and jumped out of sight. Pulling out the crumpled map, he glanced at the red marks. They seemed to be placed as far away from him as possible, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was on purpose.

Lucia looked back as she was making her way towards the usual spots, wondering if he'd trail behind her. To her dismay, and relief, he didn't. So much had happened in such a short span of time, she needed distance to process it all.

Dante coming back into her life unannounced, explaining his time away, explaining how he felt...and the kiss. She stopped in her tracks, fingertips grazing over her lips. They had shared a kiss on the beach, it was short, too short, but it happened. She made it to her first location. She knew nothing was there, and there wouldn't be anything. She had long since driven out a large force after their leader fell. She knew he wouldn't find anything either, but busywork was all she had.

Taking a seat on a roof, she let her legs dangle from the side. She took a throwing knife from the holster, flipping it between her fingers. "Was he taking pity on me?" She thought aloud. "I was so obvious, so needy. I tried not once, but twice. Did he even want to...?" 

Despite all this time, and despite countless reassurances, she never felt like she was worthy, not of praise, not of love, not of life. Before, she was Lucia, a girl who lived with her mother in a sleepy town. Then it was revealed none of that was true, instead she was created for a single purpose, she was not a human girl but a demon, a carbon copy who would serve Arius, she was not Lucia, but Chi. She couldn't deal with the reality she faced, so she begged Dante to kill her, he refused.

Years after, she had always wondered it was the right decision. That was, until yesterday.

The blade shone bright, giving her brief flashes of her own reflection. A few moments of silence before she gripped the blade. "He is not one to offer pity. It makes no sense for him to travel all this way just to toy with me. He plays the fool, but he is not that cruel." She blinked back tears, and flipped back up onto the roof, and hopping to her next scouting location, the blade held tightly in her grasp.

Dante, meanwhile, hadn't even made it to his first location. He preferred to take the scenic route, going through the labrynthian backstreets, all the while, gazing at the stars. He hadn't seen them in so long, not with the smog of the city clouding it all. 

He missed it. He was so busy being in his head, the last two times he was here, he couldn't even take in everything. Living in a city was fine, but it was suffocating in how dull it became. When he wasn't out having fun on missions, he was napping on the couch, or eating a strawberry sundae, or spending his time downing beers he'd never feel. 

He knew it wasn't all bad, with new faces like Nero, Kyrie, and Nico, but they all had their own lives to live. He wondered if he had even been living life outside of the more notable moments.

Finally making it to his first spot, he took a seat on an abandoned milk crate, and stared at nothing, chin resting on his namesake.

He put on an act, but he had no idea what he was doing ever. He still felt like that young boy hiding behind the shuttered closet doors. His mother would make everything alright, and he would never have to hide again...but he knew that wasn't true. Dante, even now, could never let it go, and for that he carried a burden that became too heavy to even consciously think about. The burden piled up until he made a prison of his own design.

He remembered an awkward attempt at a kiss when he and Lady finally called a truce. He figured it was what was supposed to happen in those moments, so when she denied him, he was both surprised and relieved. The concept of love and romance was so distant from what he knew, even now it seemed so murky. Expressing how he felt, to his flesh and blood, his brother, his nephew, it felt like pulling his teeth out with pliers. It only became harder as days passed.

His mother gave them both so much love, and she loved their father so much, it troubled him how little he was able to show everyone else.

With enough introspection for a lifetime, he stood up and made his way to the next location, picking up the pace.

By the night's end, and to no one's surprise, Lucia was the one to make it to the harbor first. The skies remained clear, the stars shone bright, the full moon even brigher, the waves were calm, it was if the world itself was telling her that everything would be alright.

She jumped onto a nearby crate and took a seat, cross-legged. Tonight had been another calm one, with not even a hint of demonic energy. Every stop she had taken just caused her to play back what had happened in her head. She wondered the many different ways in which that was a fluke or a mistake. It seemed that the only battles she was having tonight resided in her own mind.

She looked over at an incoming vessel, a trickling of people coming out. She paid close attention to each one, including the vessel's crew, which remained on deck. Some were unfamiliar faces, but some were people she knew from around town. Not a single one seemed to give off any evil force.

"Better late than never." Said a voice from behind her.

"I told you not to keep me waiting." She spun around to face him.

"Lemme guess, you didn't find a thing either?" She shook her head. "Didn't think so."

She hopped down from the crate, dusting herself off. "I appreciate the extra pair of eyes regardless."

"The least I could do." 

She realized that this was the extent of her busywork. Even if she was able to, it would be too late to attempt to sleep, and she didn't want to leave Dante without anything to occupy his time. Something inside her was afraid that he would leave, just as he did the last time.

She was so caught up in her mind, she hadn't noticed he was now standing beside her, looking towards the horizon. "You know...we never did finish that spar session." She looked up at him, shocked. He looked at her from his peripheral. "I mean, we can just call another raincheck on it, but..."

"Sure." She realized it was the best she could do for now. Lucia walked towards steps leading towards a lower area, the beach not too far away. Dante followed behind her, smirking.

Once they were far enough away, that any loud sounds wouldn't cause too much alarm. Lucia stabbed her blades into the sand, unclipped the holster that held her throwing knives, and placed it in a circle around them.

Dante shrugged off his coat, rolling up his sleeves, the Demon Sword Dante appearing already half-submerged in the sand. There was no real reason other than to show her it would be a fair fight.

"First to 10 knockdowns wins." She cracked her knuckles.

"Ooh, is there a prize?" He grinned, putting his hands up, palms forward. 

"I'll think about it."

Dante charged first, throwing a few open palm strikes her way. Lucia dodged the first couple, before tackling him with her shoulder, digging it into his abdomen. He was caught off-balance, but dug his heels into the sand. He tried to wrap his arms around her waist to hoist her up, but she pulled back, and threw a flurry of kicks in his direction.

He grabbed one leg, only for her to twist, giving her enough momentum to clip him with the other. With that, they were both on the ground. 

"Score one for me." Dante blew some strands of hair from his face.

"According to who?! You fell first!" Lucia hopped back up, pointing a finger at him.

Looking at one another, they realized there was no way to tell who had fallen first, so they agreed to a point each. 

Each round was tougher than the last. Dante had won a few by using brute force, knocking her out of her quick attacks. Lucia had taken a few rounds herself, using her acrobatics to disorient Dante, as she used his own strength against him, and when that failed, she whittled him down until he couldn't stand upright. 

Dante, as he was being flanked by the other, noticed that, unlike their first tousle, this was completely devoid of the fear and pain her strikes once had. She smiled as she felt she had the upper hand, she laughed as either one of them fell over, and she celebrated with a little dance as she overtook him. She didn't think he would notice, as he was usually face down and cleaning sand out of his eyes, but he did.

By the end, the score was nine to nine, a single point away from victory.

"Y'know...I still never got what the prize would be..."

Lucia, so caught up in winning, hadn't even thought of what it should be. "What does it matter?"

"No reason, I'll be the victor, I'm just wanna know the spoils." 

She cracked her knuckles and her neck. "How about this....whoever wins, can get one favor from the other person. Within reason of course."

"Within reason, huh? Sounds like a sweet enough deal to me." 

"Since this is such a good prize..." She walked over to her weapons, the swords now laid flat on the ground, and picked them up. "Weapons will be allowed just this once."

Dante summoned his namesake into his hand, taking a firm grasp. "It's showtime!"

This fight lasted much longer than any of the others, as a dark night faded into a blue early morning. Swords clashed, causing fire and lightning to erupt, and with each slash, the air grew momentarily sharp. They followed it up with a hailstorm of blades and bullets, each just barely managing to miss the other. Some of Lucia's blades strayed too far, hitting Dante's discarded jacket.

"Damn, and I just finished paying that off!" He exclaimed, just barely missing Lucia's sweep. "When I win, maybe you can foot the bill next time."

Lucia weaved past summoned swords, closing the gap between them. "I said within reason!"

He laughed, and in that moment, she jumped up, and dropkicked him right in the chest, sending him flying back. 

Before she hit the ground, she extended an arm, using the momentum to flip herself back onto her feet. Dante used his blade as a springboard in the same manner, and double jumped to get even greater height, coming back down to earth with a Helmsplitter.

She dodged the actual hit, but as she moved back, the shockwaves it generated hit her unsteady feet, and sent her flying. Unlike Dante, she was unable to recover, skidding across the sand on her back. She dropped her arms to her sides and sighed. She was nearly convinced it was a fluke somehow, as Dante had thrown much stronger moves that she had glanced off or avoided entirely.

She wondered if she was just too tired for a proper fight. They had only just fought maybe 12 or so hours ago.

"Not bad!" He clapped, making his way over to her. "Y'know, I thought Verg put up a helluva fight," He, now feeling the exhaustion, crashed beside her, leaning on his elbow. "but you damn near kicked my ass again."

She turned to look at him, exhausted. He smiled, looking just as ragged. "I guess that new coat's out of the question?" She shook her head, still catching her breath. He turned onto his back, putting his arms behind his head. "I guess I'll think on it then. Unless it's got an expiration date?"

She took a few moments to catch her breath. "Can only be on Vie de Marli."

"Well I'm not going anywhere, so not much of a restriction." He made a few hums, as he feigned being deep in thought. The moment she mentioned a favor being the prize, a few hundred ideas popped up at once until he chose what he felt was the safest. "Ooh, I got one. How's about we share a bed this time?"

Lucia shot up, making herself dizzy as she hadn't fully recovered. "Wh-what?"

"Woah, woah, before you actually kill me," He sat up slowly. "I just mean I'd rather not sleep on a mat on the floor." He placed a hand on his back.

Lucia closed her eyes, steadying herself on the sand. She really should have gotten up slower, but even the mention of being in such close proximity to him seemed too much for her to handle.

"Might've pushed my luck there--"

"Fine." Her eyes snapped open.

"Huh?" He tilted his head.

"It's a single favor, so tonight we can...." She couldn't even bear to say it, a flush coming over her body. 

"You sure?" He wasn't sure whether he was overstepping any bounds or not. Sure, they had shared a kiss, but that seemed more mutual than something that came from a won favor. "There's a million other things I could ask for if that's too much."

He was offering her a meal on a silver platter, who was she to deny it? "Just for tonight." She whispered.

After dusting themselves off, and collecting their things, they made their way back home. To save some face, and maybe get even, Lucia made another game of it, a race in which the winner would get another favor. Dante figured this one was more against his favor, but he still agreed to the race. 

Though they were both exhausted, Lucia managed to eke out a victory, though it was still hard-fought. She figured her knowledge of the layout would get her home before Dante could even start, but their sparring took much needed energy from her.

Dante had found her, eyes closed, resting by the door. "Lucia?"

Opening one eye, she yawned and opened the door, and with her last bit of energy, sprinted towards the bathroom. Before stepping inside, Dante shook off as much of the sand as he could, out from his hair and his clothes. He kicked off his boots beside the entryway to her room and stepped inside. 

From the small windows, he could see sunlight beginning to stain the sky. He strode over to Lucia's bed and took a seat, the old springs creaking. It wasn't too small a bed, the mattress larger than a twin at least. It was covered in a bed sheet of faded flowers, one pillow haphazard on the side of the bed, the other at the foot of the bed, with a couple of sheets strawn across, one matching the bed sheet, the other a thicker blanket, which seemed to be handmade.

Lucia crashed against the bathroom door, slamming it shut behind her before stripping and jumping into the bath. She hadn't even waited for the water to heat up before letting it wash off the stray grains of sand. It was near unbearably cold, but she needed it to jolt her awake. Once the water warmed up to a more comfortable temperature, the thoughts running at several miles a minute slowed down. The walls were not paper thin, but she was afraid that if she even whispered to herself, the whole house could hear it.

She was trembling at the thought of sharing such a close space with Dante. A hug and a kiss were both good, but there was something much more intimate about sleeping in the same bed as someone else. What made things worse, or maybe better, was how small the bed was. She figured there was no way it could accommodate the two, and a part of her wished that its size would dissuade him. Nearly everything she wanted was being laid out before her, but her mind would not let her go without copious amounts of self-doubt.

Dante wanted a shower, but he had no idea how long Lucia would be. He had splashed himself with fountain water before meeting up at the door, and he had shaken off what he could, so at least he was sure he wouldn't track anymore sand inside. Besides that, exhaustion was finally catching up to him.

He laid on the bed, contorting his body, trying to figure out how much space he could take up while still leaving enough that she could sleep comfortably. He realized his favor may have been harder to do than he realized.

Lucia took a few deep breaths before turning the shower off. She ran fingers through her hair and stood up straight. Then she realized a crucial mistake. She hadn't grabbed a change of clothes, and the clothes she did have were covered in sand, so there was no point in putting them back on. Dante was in her room waiting for her return, but her returning in a towel alone would be the end of her.

Dante had ended back up on the floor, realizing he either overestimated the size of the bed, or underestimated the size of his body. He grabbed a bit of his gut, sighing. He heard the shuffling of slippers on the floor, which stopped right before the doorway. He looked up in anticipation, but stopped as he heard a "Don't!"

"I...please close your eyes!" He smirked but did as he was told. "Don't open them! Cover your eyes!" He could hear the nerves in her throat, but still he did so, clasping both hands over his eyes.

Lucia peeked first to see if he had obeyed. Once she was sure he wouldn't look, she shuffled over to the closet, looking back every other second, until she pulled some soft pajamas out. 

He heard her sprint out, a door slamming in the distance, and he couldn't help but start laughing.

A few minutes later, Lucia walked back inside, wearing fluffy red pajama pants and matching button up shirt. Despite never noticing when she wore it usually, being in Dante's presence seemed to make her feel embarrassed about what must have looked childish. 

Dante, in reality was sprawled out on the floor, an arm draped over his eyes.

She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about that, I should have a fresh change of clothes nearby next time."

"Hm?" He peeked from his arm. "Your house, your room, it's fine."

She quickly changed subjects. "Do you not want that favor?" She moved over to her bed, sitting down.

"Can't fit. And if I can't you won't be able to. I've disturbed your sleep enough anyway."

They sat in silence for a bit, Lucia looking around before she had an idea. She grabbed the handwoven blanket on her bed, and dragged it over to where Dante was laying. "Can you get up for a sec?"

He rolled off the mat, and ended up on his stomach. He rested on his elbows, looking expectantly. Lucia folded the blanket and placed it on top of the mat. She grabbed the two pillows from the mattress and placed them neatly at the head of the mat. Finally, she grabbed her thinner blanket, placing it on her shoulders. 

"It probably won't help much, but it will do." She lay on one side of the mat, facing him, but averting her gaze, as she brought the blanket over her head.

Dante rolled back over onto the mat, nearly bumping her off. Lucia feeling his presence from underneath the blanket caused her heart to race. 

His voice was low and rumbling. "Are you sure?" Ever since she agreed to yes, Dante worried if he was being too forward, or taking advantage of her kindness. He wanted this closeness but on equal terms.

Lucia peeked from the blanket. He was much closer to her than she realized, his form blotting out most of the fading moonlight. "I am not sure of anything, if you want honesty." She pulled it down, showing the rest of her face. 

She had been thinking about this nonstop since had arrived, it's why she could barely sleep. "When you left me the first time, I was hurt, confused, but over time I had figured that maybe it just wasn't to be. That maybe we were just too different. You had things to take care of, and I couldn't help you. I figured that this was how it was meant to be."

Dante pressed his lips together into a thin line.

"Then…you came back. And you...kissed me." She trailed off. Her heartbeat slowed, but she began to tremble. "You said you missed me. I want to believe you...but I can't. Not when it's been years. I know you didn't ask me, and maybe I shouldn't have in the first place, but I waited so long." She wanted to cry, but something wouldn't let her, exhaustion maybe.

"A lot has changed since then." He finally found his words. "The fact that it took me this long to realize how important everything is, how important everyone in my life truly is." He chuckled lightly. "I lost two of the most important people in my life when I was young, and nearly lost the third. Even now I can't handle it."

She noticed his normal playful tone was gone. He sounded as he did when they first met on Vie de Marli, somber, mostly quiet.

"It's funny...I've tried so hard not to hurt anyone else, but I'm real shit at keeping that up."

"Maybe." She smiled. "...but you're trying aren't you?"

"Yeah."

From under the sheet, a hand poked out blindly, reaching for something. Dante clasped his hand into hers. She pulled the sheet up and over the both of them, as best she could. Now they were both underneath, hidden from the sunlight beginning to trickle in.

He suddenly felt like a high school kid in some shitty teen movie, hands beginning to sweat, throat getting dry. Even under the soft light, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. Her hand felt so soft despite it hurting him real hard a few hours ago.

"I didn't ask the first time...so I'll ask now..." His voice fell even lower. "...can I kiss you?"

"Please." She slid even closer to him, the gap between them nearly nonexistent. Dante leaned in, and Lucia closed the distance completely. 

It was as soft as the first kiss, but she felt his hand squeeze hers tight. She hummed as he did, squeezing in return. Unlike the last kiss, it was not as quick. It was a bit awkward from the angle, but she wouldn't pull away until he did.

And he did, only to wrap an arm around her waist, pulling the rest of her body close to him. She wouldn't let it end there, and gave him a few more kisses on places she could reach, his hair pricking her soft skin.

There were so many things both wanted to say, but they left it there. A comfortable silence filling whatever gaps their bodies pressed together left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no idea where this is going but im having a lot of fun writing it :D i love these awkward idiots, maybe a part 3 in the future...


	3. Loneliness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A letter comes, some phone calls are made. A reunion is in the cards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is more of a part 2.5 than a full part 3 but you'll see why after u read uwu  
> comments and such appreciated! i'm playing this whole thing by ear so this is gonna be interesting i hope

A couple of knocks could be heard from the front door. Matier shuffled over, opening it and finding a hooded little girl at her door. The girl was out of breath, bowing over to catch it while holding an envelope forward in her hand. 

She gingerly took the envelope, and invited the child in to catch her breath. She instead sat on the ground, pulling out a small canteen.

Matier looked to the envelope in her hand. In a very small script, read the name 'Dante'. It surprised her that it took as long as it did to send him a letter. He had arrived on their doorstep a few months prior, with only a suitcase and strange hat to his name.

She looked again at the young girl, who had already taken off, waving as she ran down the road. Once out of sight, she gently closed the door, and shuffled over to Lucia's room. She made her way to Dante, who was still asleep despite the sun being high in the sky, and bopped his head with her cane.

"Ow...." He cracked an eye open. "Y'need something?"

She took a seat on her daughter's bed nearby, holding out the envelope. "It seems you've gotten a letter. Have they finally realized you've been missing all this time?"

Dante shot up, snatching the envelope and tearing it open. Matier chuckled at his enthusiasm. The letter was written in a deep blue ink, and looked to be from a quill. He recognized the handwriting immediately, eyes widening. The letter read,

"Dante,

Though you have been so discourteous, not even delivering as much as a phone call, I have written this letter in hopes that you may respond, for the sake of the others you've left here. Nero and Kyrie have not yet removed me from their establishment. Recovery has been slow-going, but I have been able to venture forward more, and according to Kyrie, have been a 'big help'. I disagree. From the halls, the others visit consistently asking about you.

You may be asking how I acquired information of your whereabouts. As I mentioned many come through their home whenever possible, including your former informant, I believe he goes by Morrison. Through him, I was able to surmise your location. Were I in better condition, I would have come to you myself, and figured out why you seem content on a distant island. Respond as soon as you are able to and not a moment later.

Vergil

P.S.: Do not die before you return, we still have a score to settle."

Dante threw his head back, laughing. He could only imagine Vergil hunched up in bed, a quill between bone-white fingers, furiously scratching at the paper. He wondered how he was able to even find a quill. He figured someone would send word eventually, but he would not have guessed in a million years that it would be his own brother.

"It must not be urgent then, if you must laugh so."

"It's a letter from....my brother." She raised an eyebrow. "Everyone seems fine back home, but call me crazy, he might just be worried."

"Ah of course...to think, there are two of you running around." Matier chuckled quietly. "Having you both must make his legacy that much more complicated."

"You could say that again." He sighed and rubbed his neck. "Should probably give 'em a call though. Check up on 'em." He stood up and made his way to an old rotary phone, taking it off the small wooden table it lay on, and dragged it back into the room as far as the cord would allow.

Matier smiled and made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her. "What a strange bloodline..." She mused once the door was shut behind her.

Dante sat cross-legged on the end of the mat, fanning himself from the morning's heat. He dialed the Devil May Cry offices first, as he just knew Lady and Trish were missing him.

"Devil May Cry." He heard Trish's voice on the other end.

"Just called to see how my favorite ladies are doing."

"Password?" He could hear her smiling.

"Very funny, I just wanted you guys to know that unfortunately, I'm not dead yet. I'll be back to visit sometime..."

"Sorry, that's not it."

"Yeah, yeah, business as usual. I'm sure you'll tell Lady, but let Patty know I owe her one."

"Will do." Trish paused for a moment. "Stay safe, Dante." 

"You too." He hit the button and dialed another number. 

He was unsure if anyone would pick up this time, as he knew both Nero and Kyrie had their hands full. After a few rings, he came close to hanging up before he heard a voice.

He cleared his throat. "Hello?"

"Dante, is that you?" He could hear her shock.

"Hey Kyrie, yeah it's me." He began to hear yelling from the other side.

"We've been missing you here!" She laughed as the yelling grew louder. "Nero in particular has been missing you a lot, haven't you been, honey?"

"Tell that bastard the next time I see him I'm gonna kill him! Leaves without a g--"

"Language!" He could tell she was covering the receiver and couldn't help but smirk. "Sorry about that, you know how Nero can get." He could hear more yelling in the background, children's voices, and running footsteps.

"Yeah I know," He lowered his voice. "...let him know I'm sorry alright. When I get back I'll try and make it up to him. Let Verg know I'm doing okay too, I know he's worried." 

"Of course. I'm glad to hear from you again! It's been busy around here, but we've been doing okay. The kids have missed you a lot too, I'll make sure to let them know you called."

"Thanks a lot, Kyrie. I'll be back soon, take care of yourselves until then, okay?"

"You too, Dante! Try to call more often though."

He laughed. "I'll try, but no promises. See ya."

Placing the phone down, he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was so caught up enjoying himself here, he had completely forgotten about the people back home. They seemed to be doing alright, but still he felt guilty. He placed the phone back, making sure the cord wouldn't get tangled up in anything, slipped on his boots, and walked outside.

Just as he was making his way to the little side area, where one could see the rest of the town, he was greeted by a hand on his arm.

Lucia was a bit out of breath. "Did something happen? I heard a letter was delivered, addressed to you, is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, Verg felt like writing me a letter. Decided to check up on everyone."

"Vergil...your brother!" Lucia was relieved. She had seen a young girl head to her home, waving something around her hand. She had wanted to stop by earlier, but was busy helping some of the townsfolk out.

"Yeah....bastard." He snorted. "Didn't even realize how long it'd been."

"How is everyone doing?" Lucia sat on a nearby ledge. 

Dante followed suit. "Everyone's fine. Life goes on, even without me. It's....a relief."

"That's good...but if anything comes up, you do not have to stay here."

Dante turned away, looking into the distance. "I've never been one to miss a party." He knew with Vergil in recovery, and all the major players in Mundus's army dead, there wasn't a big chance of anything happening. 

"Did you tell them you were here?" She wondered if any of them were even familiar with the island.

"Completely slipped my mind. The ladies were busy, as was Nero and Vergil. Just needed to know I'm alive I guess." He looked over to Lucia, who seemed to be in her own mind as well. "But...maybe I should head back."

She looked up, surprised. "Yes, of course! You're long overdue for a visit I'm sure. I'm sure we've kept you here far too long anyway."

Dante looked up at the sky, the bright sun now overhead. "Maybe you should come with me."

Her surprise upgraded to shock, being unable to form a full sentence. "Wait....but there's things...you know I can't because...."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. Just a suggestion, I think it'd be nice." He rubbed the back of his neck, collecting his thoughts. "Just...think all the big people in my life should meet for once."

"You..." She turned to him, who couldn't help but flash her a grin. "You just say things like that...so bluntly!" She smacked his arm, covering her face with the other hand. "Idiot..." She figured she had heard him wrong, but to be considered an important person in his life, especially with so many people, all she could do was turn away from him completely, taking a few shallow breaths.

His grin dropped, and he moved over, squatting before her. "You okay?" 

Peeking an eye between her fingers, she could feel her heart swell. She still woke up every single day thinking their time together so far was a dream, but for him to be so gentle with her, and so kind to her. It would take a while before it could all truly set in.

"Yes...I'm fine. Confused mostly. Fears crop up and I worry." She sat up, putting her arms to her sides. "I fear leaving my people without a protector, though they have held their own before I was even born." Her fingers dug into the stone. "But..."

Dante finally caught onto her doubts. "Well, can't say much about Verg, but the rest of 'em? Good people." He paused, scanning over to see any flicker of relief. When he didn't, he continued. "I'm not gonna keep you trapped for my sake, if at any point you wanna go, we'll go."

Lucia appreciated his kind words, but she felt childish for even worrying about it. If she didn't blink after fighting countless demons and devils, what is akin to a family reunion should be child's play. Still, worrying seemed to be in her nature, she wondered if this was from herself or something Arius gave her.

"When do you plan on leaving?"

"If it's not too soon, I'm hoping tomorrow. It'd be a nice surprise."

"I will have to ask Matier but....tomorrow. The first ship will leave in the morning." Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Lucia spent the rest of her day, in between her normal tasks, packing and worrying. She remembered the day Dante arrived, and everything that he'd told her about his and his brother's struggle. She remembered his face as he told her about the day they lost their mother, the color was drained from his face, and he looked so very tired. 

Initially, in her mind Vergil was a tyrant, a cold, unfeeling man who only wanted what was in his best interests. With such an impression, she couldn't help but feel anger and fear in her heart. He had caused Dante so much pain in his life, but despite it all, the way she heard him talk about Vergil was equal parts annoyed and relieved. She only knew bits and pieces, but she figured their relationship was far more complicated than what he told her.

Zipping up her stuffed suitcase, she sighed and threw herself on her bed. 

"You seem troubled."

She sat up. "Is it so obvious?"

Matier smiled and made her way, sitting beside her. She gingerly placed a hand on her knee. "This is good for you. You've known only the island and its people, but nothing else."

"I know...but I cannot be blamed for worrying!"

"Maybe not, but there is nothing to worry about. You have your own burdens to bear, but I will not allow Vie de Marli to be one you bear alone." She patted her knee. "Look inside, and know that this is a boon you've been delivered."

"It doesn't feel like it. It feels bad. This all feels bad." Lucia leaned on Matier, playing with the hem of her shirt.

"You buried your hopes long ago, and now you don't feel like digging them back up again, hm?" 

"Maybe I did."

"Well, if Dante has stayed this long, then maybe it is worth picking the shovel back up again. To bring you to his own family, this is no joke being played upon you. You know I would never allow it."

"I know."

Matier stood up, struggling a bit as she did, before planting a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "This is a good thing, trust me."

She hummed in response, knowing deep in her heart that the other was probably right.


	4. Rejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dante and Lucia make it back to the Devil May Cry offices. Lucia meets some familiar unfamilar faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for such a long delay i hope the wait was worth it maybe? anyway this was a challenge but i had fun writing this...so many characters so little time...kudos and comments super appreciated as always!

Dante was the first one to wake. For once, no survival instinct kicked in, so instead of a cold sweat and scrambling to his feet, he stretched and let out a particularly loud yawn.

"Shit." He whispered, seeing Lucia turn away from him, pulling her blanket up over her head. He couldn't help but smirk as she settled, beginning to lightly snore.

In the silence, he lay there, thinking of what today would bring him. Despite his age, this really was all new to him. From sharing a kiss, to sharing a bed, and now meeting what remained of his ragtag family, it seemed like all too much too soon, but they had known each other for years now.

He huffed quietly, leaving his mat. He turned back to face her, though all she was currently was a vague form underneath a heavy blanket. He smirked again, something that seemed to happen every time he looked at her. Slipping on his boots, he closed the door gently behind him, and made his way outside.

Though the day before was a sweltering one, such proximity to the sea meant cool breezes, the sea's salt filling his lungs. He scrambled up the stone gate, sitting to the right of its arch. He looked out at the rest of the town, the only lights coming from the moon and stars. When it wasn't being assailed by hordes of demons, it was a sleepy town. It was hard to get used to the quiet. 

It reminded him, as it tended to, of his old home in Red Grave. He pulled out a small crumpled paper, and laughed as he opened it up. 

"Ma..." He murmured. "Did I do ya right?" Though he had an immaculate image of his mother framed, and usually resting on the desk, in the remains of the Sparda estate, he had manage to salvage another image of Eva. He held it up next to the moon, its waning light revealing the charred edges and faded colors.

Not that he needed the approval, though he desperately craved it. He wondered if his mother would like Lucia. He never had a chance to disappoint her with beaus he'd later regret in his youth, so she would at least be elated that someone chose him. 

As a kid, being half-demon wasn't exactly a plus for girls and guys around his age, the former avoided him like he was diseased, the latter was content on bullying him from a distance. He couldn't help but remember the single time he fleetingly believed someone was genuinely interested in him. His face contorted into something that was half-smile and half-scowl recounting it. 

Every valentine's day, as a kid, had them exchanging gifts and cards, the kids would swarm the most handsome, and the most beautiful, it made him sick. Normally, he would make up some excuse to avoid class that day, and begrudgingly, Eva and Sparda allowed him to remain home, but one year, before it went all to hell, he was convinced to go, as Eva herself was convinced that there were plenty of girls who would leave him something nice.

It was an excruciatingly long, and terribly boring day. Soon, he could no longer take watching everyone else enjoy themselves. He had moved to toss the little container each of them were given for gifts, before noticing a slip of folded paper sitting in it. Unfolding it, he saw a small drawing, where a stick figure girl held a heart with Dante's name in the center.

Frantically he looked around, but no one paid him any mind, the rest having their own little conversations. He stood up, tightly holding onto the paper, waving it around, but never straying too far from his seat. He had wanted to ask if this was some sort of sick joke, or whether it was serious, but the words refused to come out. He felt a trickle of sweat go down his neck, a tickle in his throat, and the sting of incoming tears.

He spent the rest of the day in the bathroom, punching the tile. When he finally emerged, being the last to dismiss, his mother ran to him, arms wrapping around tight. He broke down sobbing near immediately.

He never did figure out whether it was a cruel prank or not, thought it might as well have been. 

Dante laughed again, accidentally bending the photo as his hand closed over it. Looking back, it was such a silly thing to get upset about, none of that mattered. And yet, he couldn't help but think, just like back then, that this was just another cruel prank that fate felt like playing on him.

The moon had disappeared, and the stars left with it, as a light blue flooded the sky. He placed his mother's image back into the crumpled paper, trying to fold it over neatly, and slipped it into his coat pocket.

Lucia's eyes snapped open, and she immediately jumped out of bed. Looking over, she had seen Dante's makeshift bed empty, which meant she was probably late. She tossed the covers aside, nearly ripping her pajamas off her body. She quickly scoured her closet, dragging out her packed suitcase, and taking a light sundress and matching hat with it. She wasn't sure how the weather would be like in the city, but she figured it was warm enough to wear it. 

She dressed up quickly, and snuck into Matier's room, giving her a kiss on the forehead, before departing.

"Ready?" Dante asked, dangling backward off the ledge.

"Are we late?" Lucia held onto the brim of her hat as a particularly strong breeze blew through.

"Not that I know of, just saw the ship pull into port."

She breathed a sigh of relief, walking past the gate's arch. Turning to him, she smiled, and let out a big yawn. "Well, shall we get going?"

As the sun began to peek over the horizon, stray sunbeams flowed through Lucia's dress, and the rest outlined her form. He hopped down, eyes never leaving hers. He took her suitcase, and hauled it over his shoulder. He was breathless, but did his best to hide it. "You... look beautiful."

"I can carry my own things, you know!" She shook her head, the smile still on her lips. "But...thank you."

As always, they made another game of it, seeing who could make it to the harbor first. There was no prize or favor this time, as neither seemed to keen on accidentally betraying each other's trust. Instead there was only the rush of competition.

Dante made it there first, Lucia lagging behind by the slightest margin. The entire time, she had held onto her floppy hat, making sure it didn't blow away from some particularly strong breeze, or her own demonic speed.

He had wanted to brag, but Lucia kept moving, taking his hand and dragging him behind her. She looked back, and saw him looking away, a finger scratching his cheek nervously. Once he noticed her gaze, he quickly slicked his hair back, smirking.

Once on deck, they made their way towards the bow of the ship, Dante leading the way this time. He dragged over two seats, dusting one off as he threw himself onto the other. Lucia sat on the other, propping her legs onto her suitcase. She seemed nervous and excited at the same time, as she picked at her lip, occasionally looking behind her, and craning her neck to see over the railing. 

"You've been on a ship like this before, right?"

"Of course I have!" She retorted, answering before he could even finish the question. "I don't get seasick, if you're worried about that."

"Naw, not worried about that..." He leaned back, crossing his legs, hands behind his head. "We still got time before this thing disembarks. If you wanna head back, I won't stop you."

Lucia sighed, slinking into her seat. She was quiet for a few moments, closing her eyes. She could begin to hear the waves crashing against the bow, the light sway as the ocean rocked the vessel. "Family."

"What about it?"

"You already know Matier is all I have, yes?"

"All you really need."

She opened her eyes, and looked over at him, leaning an elbow onto the armrest, resting her head on her knuckles. "She's all I've ever known. Unlike you, I have no real parents, nor siblings that aren't just identical clones," She recalled the secretaries, all of them exactly like her. "...it is just, very confusing."

"Family isn't just blood y'know." He leaned forward, as he mirrored her pose, resting on his head on his palm.

"I suppose that's true."

He wasn't satisfied. "Matier may not be blood, but she's still your mother, right? You wouldn't call whats-his-name your dad, or those clones of your sisters." She shook her head. "Not all my family is by blood either. I've met people from all over, and I'd consider them...pretty close."

"That may be true, but is everyone a perfect fit?"

"No one ever really is. Even my own brother's a bit of a dipshit so. Nero's at least less so, my influence and all." She chuckled, placing a hand over her mouth.

"I am...excited to meet them all."

"Doesn't seem like that's the end of it though."

She frowned. "No, of course not. They are all strangers, and to them I am also a stranger. To feel unwelcome in a foreign place, it is nervewracking."

"Not that they'd ever judge, but I don't think any of them could. Except Kyrie, she's a saint." He smirked. "But she's probably the least likely to judge. Got her own makeshift family."

"I suppose we'll see." She closed her eyes again, yawning loudly.

His voice softened. "You should get some rest." 

And so she did, even as the ship blared, departing from port.

\--

When she finally awoke, she noticed she was swinging back and forth, but not from the rocking of waves. Dante cleared his throat as he made his way quickly down the gangway.

"You, uh, weren't waking up, so..." He placed her gently down once they made it to dry land. "I didn't want us to be stuck on there." He refused to admit it, but he was also enamored with the way she looked when she slept, completely unbothered and relaxed, so when it came time to go, he figured carrying her would be good for them both. "Hope I didn't bother ya."

She smiled, playfully tapping his arm. "No, it's fine...I must have been more tired than normal."

She turned towards the city. It was massive, buildings sprawled as far as the eye could see. She wondered how many people got lost, and if Dante himself ever found himself on the wrong side of town. 

Their first stop would be Dante's old office. This time, Dante led her through dark back alleys, crumbling buildings, and uneven streets. The further they traveled, the more it looked like a war zone. It reminded her of when most of Uroboros City fell, after Arius was defeated, pieces of architecture strewn all over like discarded toys. The path was felt so much different, compared to when she last arrived. Maybe it had been so long, she just forgot.

They finally made it to the office's front door, a comparatively ornate wooden one. Dante continued the lead, bursting through the door, arms wide open.

"Ya missed me?" 

As Lucia moved to step inside, she saw it flying towards her, deftly dodging as Dante skidded across the cobblestone.

"You son of bitch! You think you can just waltz in here? You leave us high and dry for months, just to drop Vergil off and ditch us again?!" She saw a young man with equally stark white hair rush his way outside. She noticed that one of his arms, which looked like a gauntlet, had begun to spark, before breaking apart. The young man shook his arm and continued to approach Dante.

"Missed you too, Nero." He grunted, spitting out some blood before sitting up. He saw her standing there, amused by the display. "Before you throw that fist, maybe say hello to our guest first." He gestured in her direction, causing her to tense up.

Nero raised his arm for another blow, before turning back. Lucia took a moment to compose herself before she approached them both, waving. He immediately blushed, turning slightly. "Friend of yours?"

"You could say that." She answered, smiling. Lucia held out a hand and introduced herself. Nero gingerly took it and shook it a couple of times, still unable to meet her gaze.

"Lucia, huh...nice to meet ya." He looked over to Dante, who had stood up, dusting himself off. "Explains why you left then."

"Might have had something to do with it." Dante readjusted his jaw. "The hell are you doing here anyway?"

Nero gritted his teeth. "Doing my fuckin' job. Trish and Lady got swamped with jobs, so they asked me to come in and help."

"That's a new one...usually too prideful to ask for help." He wondered just how much had changed in his absence. "I guess that means they're out then?"

"Yeah. But I'm done for now, gonna head back to Fortuna." He glanced over at Lucia quickly before going back to Dante. "Should show your face around there sometime soon, I know the kids missed ya." His features softened, and he couldn't help but grin.

"I'm sure they did." He chuckled, moving to Lucia's side, putting an arm around her shoulders. "We'll stop by soon. Just thought I'd get this out of the way first, I know those two are just dying to see me again."

Nero scoffed. "More like you'll be dying when they see you." He turned to Lucia once more, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I'll see you again soon..."

"I look forward to it." She grinned, adjusting her hat.

Nero sprinted off, waving as he made his way down the street.

When Dante figured Nero was out of earshot, he started laughing, making his way inside. "Told you Nero's a good kid, hotheaded to all hell, but a good kid."

"I never doubted that. He does seem very sweet." Lucia followed, hanging her hat on a nearby coatrack. Whereas last time, there were barely any lights, and the whole place was covered in a thin layer of dust, the sunlight streaming in gave the place, which looked immaculate, a more homely feel.

Dante made his way to the couch, grabbing a stray newspaper from a nearby table. "Make yourself at home. No idea when the ladies'll be home, but it should be soon..."

As if summoned, the door burst open, Lady came in first, teetering back and forth, a stack of pizza boxes blocking her view. Dante snuck up, swiped a box, and returned to his seat on the couch. 

"Aw, for me? You shouldn't have!" He popped the box open, grabbing a few slices. He bit into one, letting it dangle, while he handed the other to Lucia. "You know I love a good pepperoni, but I'll take extra cheese."

Trish flew in, snatching the box, and the slice in his mouth from him, as Lady brought the rest to her desk. She looked over at Lucia, smirking.

"You must be Lucia." She handed the box to Lady, in the same movement extending a hand. "And here I thought Dante was joking."

"What do you mean by that?" She felt nervous, as if there was something Dante had avoided telling her. Still, she took the other's hand, holding the greasy slice with the other.

"Told me he had a beautiful woman waiting for him while he was stuck in hell the first time." She smiled. 

Lucia laughed, shaking her hand, while her eyes darted over to Dante. "Did he now?"

Dante grabbed her slice, shoving the whole thing in one bite, watching as she pursed her lips. "Something like that."

Lady placed Kalina Ann to the side, and approached them, her mouth already filled with pizza. "Y'know I'd be more pissed that Dante flaked on us again...but I can't say I blame him." 

Lucia laughed, surprised by their kindness. "I suppose I should apologize then. I didn't realize he would leave you all to see me, I was as surprised as you are."

"Sorry? We should be thanking you." Lady grinned, grabbing another slice and handed it to her, slapping Dante's hand away as he reached for it. "We're just annoyed he didn't call us sooner, or let us know you were coming. Sorry the place looks like a shithole, though I can assure you it looks better than the way Dante left it."

"I hope we aren't interrupting anything."

"Not at all. We finished early, so we decided to have an early lunch." Trish took a seat next to Dante, as Lady brought Lucia a seat, the other boxes in tow. Lady sat crosslegged on the floor, Trish laying against her.

"Lucia, right? You a demon hunter?"

"Both hunter and hunted, I suppose."

"What'cha mean by that?" 

Trish answered for her. "She's a demon, just like me." She smiled softly. "Made by some megalomaniac to take over the world, or something like that."

Lucia nodded, taking a few bites from the slice. "Although, I think the difference between us, is that I didn't try to kill Dante." She paused, realizing how mean that must have sounded. "But..I wouldn't blame anyone for trying." 

"That makes two of us." Lady smirked, sticking a tongue out at Dante.

"I'm pretty sure everyone who works here tried to kill me at least once." He scoffed, swiping Lady's slice and choking it down.

"Shot him in the head I think. Didn't blink twice, crazy bastard." Trish fed her a slice as she spoke.

"Pretty sure it was more than that." 

"Probably, but you were trying to kill my dad after all." It surprised her how nonchalant Lady sounded.

"I wasn't /trying/ to, he just felt like being in the way of my sword."

"Uh-huh..." Lady shifted a bit, facing Lucia. "So how'd you meet Dante? He's mentioned you, but I never got the details."

"Well, by chance we had ended up in the same museum, looking for the Medaglia, we fought some demons, he came to Vie de Marli, he helped us defeat a man called Arius and the demon Argosax, and then he..." She remembered the last time she saw him, before his return years later. "He rode into hell."

"So that's where you went..." Trish smiled. 

Dante scooted forward, noticing the slight pain in her features. Even now, it was still a sore spot for her. "Hell seems like a second vacation spot for me now. Except instead of a cabana and a nice beach, it's rivers of blood and annoying pests everywhere."

Trish noticed the tension. "So, of all the people in the world, why Dante?"

Lucia perked up, happy for the distraction. "What do you mean?"

Lady chimed in. "He's not exactly prime boyfriend material." Dante tensed up at the mention of the word 'boyfriend'.

"Well...I suppose that depends to many people." She looked over at him, who pretended to be distracted by a magazine. "But...he is very kind. He helped me, not only with the demon problem, but he was there for me when a lot of...unfortunate things happened." She laughed. "To be honest, I didn't think he'd ever come back. I had long tossed away any chance that we would be together."

Dante could feel two pairs of eyes burning through to his very soul. Lady spoke first. "So he just left you high and dry? Doesn't sound too nice to me."

"If we had known that, we would have brought him to your door ourselves."

"Listen." He finally spoke, tossing the rag aside. "There's a million reasons why I didn't come back, and not a single one of them was 'I didn't want to'."

Neither of them seemed convinced. Dante wasn't trying to convince them, either. "I wasn't gonna settle down while my genocidal, powerhungry brother was fucking shit up at home. I've already put enough people in danger, I..." He exhaled harshly through his nose. "I don't need to explain myself."

In that moment, where the tension was the thickest, a knock came from the door, before it opened. "Hey ladies, Nero left something here, and for some reason, just didn't feel like coming back so I--" Nico froze. "Was I interrupting somethin'?"

Before anyone could answer, her eyes lit up, and she scrambled over to Lucia's side, a hand extended. "I haven't seen /you/ around here..." She was incredibly weak to the sight of a pretty woman.

Lucia shook her hand, a blush creeping up as she could feel Nico's gaze. "You must be Nico..."

"Not surprised you've heard of me, the Goldstein name travels far and wide..." She spread her arms and looked to the ceiling. "Dante, where the hell have you been hiding this one?"

"Not even a hello?" Dante could feel the cold shoulder from nearly everyone, not that it wasn't deserved. But he wasn't a fan of being piled on, especially after coming home so soon.

"Not when you left poor Nero hanging like that! Poor boy was upset when he got back." She covered her mouth. "But don't tell him I said that!"

"No promises."

Nico scoffed. "Anyway, darling, you can call me whatever you want, especially for dinner." She laughed, snorting at her own joke. "What's your name, sugar?" 

She introduced herself, charmed by Nico's laid back demeanor. "Your grandmother must have been very talented to make Dante's weapons. Not to be too forward but, would you ever take a look at mine?"

"Normally I charge...but for a pretty face, I'll do it for free." She winked.

Dante couldn't help but chuckle, recalling the story Lady experienced while he was napping near the Qliphoth. He wondered where that newfound confidence came from, especially towards a complete stranger. He suddenly felt that he missed more than he realize, his chuckle fading.

"What's so funny, cowboy?"

"What was it Nero left behind?" 

"Just some papers." A harsh buzzing came from her pocket. She pulled out a small device and tapped the screen. "Don't piss your diaper, I just got here." Nero's voice could be heard briefly before it was cut off. She strode over to the desk, grabbing a bundle of papers. 

"You coming back to Fortuna anytime soon?"

"Told Nero I would. I know the kids must be sad without me."

"I wouldn't go that far." She snorted. "Was good meeting you, uh..." Dante reminded her. "Lucia! A lovely name, for a lovely girl. Hope you're coming along with Dante."

"We'll be there." Dante smirked.

Nico grinned and left as she came.

After the moment passed, Lady spoke. "I guess you'll be staying with us a bit?" She stood up, tossing an empty box of pizza in a trash bag.

"Just for a few days. Bedroom's still free, right?"

Trish and Lady looked at one another, eyebrows raised. A wordless conversation passed before they turned to him. "Free for Lucia maybe. You get the couch."

Lucia looked to Dante, and looked back to them. "I can stay down here if it's an issue." 

Trish smiled, tapping her lips in faux thought. "As long as Dante doesn't make a mess upstairs, you can both stay there. Didn't mean to separate the lovebirds."

Dante shot up, dusting his hands off, ignoring her last comment. "Don't worry, ladies, you won't even know we're here." He grabbed her suitcase with one hand, and her hand with the other, leading her upstairs.

As the door shut behind them, Dante let out a massive sigh. "God, I adore those two but sometimes they can be a handful."

Lucia looked around, letting go of his hand to take a seat on the bed. The room was unremarkable, faded green walls, faded maps and posters hung on the walls, an amp and a guitar was left resting in a corner. "This is your room?" During his first time in hell, She hadn't snooped around upstairs as she waited for Dante, afraid she might disturb something she shouldn't have.

"Mhm." He kicked off his boots and threw himself on the bed next to her. He inhaled deeply, smelling the faint scent of floral detergent on the sheets. "Surprised they didn't just throw all my shit out." He rolled onto his side, resting on an elbow.

"Maybe they knew you'd want to come back for good." She tossed herself back, turning slightly to meet his gaze.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"For me no, for you it was like seeing someone on trial." She laughed.

Before he could answer, there was a quiet knock on the door before it opened. Lady's head peeked through. "You busy?"

"What's up?" Dante sat up, an eyebrow raised.

"Mind if you hold down the fort for a bit? Trish and I are going out for a bit, and we need someone to man the lines." She then turned to Lucia. "Wanna come with?"

Lucia tilted her head. "If you'll have me."

Dante made a noise of protest before Lady returned to him with a glare. "Can consider this a favor for us keeping the place together while you were playing games in hell." He couldn't really argue with that. "We'll be waiting outside." 

"You think that was a trial? I bet those two are gonna give you one hell of an interrogation." He threw himself back, arms folded behind his head, freezing as he realized how that came across. "Granted, it's not to make you look like a bad guy. They just probably wanna know what I've been doing."

Lucia stood up, dusting her dress off. "I'll try and make you look good, I promise."

\--

They decided to make a game of it, not unlike the races her and Dante had. The only difference is Lady and Trish seemed hellbent on playing games with trafficgoers, as they weaved through cars and trucks, earning them honks and obscenities. She knew Trish was a demon, but the way Lady darted around, she was half convinced that she held latent demonic power herself. She wondered, as she clung onto her hat, with one arm around Lady's waist, whether she made the right choice.

Regardless, it wasn't long until they reached their destination. It was a dingy hole in the wall in the industrial area of the city. The lights were perpetually low, even as some sunlight streamed in through frosted windows. Trish approached the bar as Lady led her to a booth in the back.

Lady passed her a menu. "You drink?"

"Not really...not out of choice though." She opened it up. It was mostly drinks, with a small section devoted to nonalcoholic drinks and food. She realized she wasn't carrying any cash on her. 

"Don't worry about it, it's on us." 

"Then...I guess I'll have a rum and coke."

"Hell yeah." She turned around and yelled their order. Trish nodded and turned back to the bartender. "So, you and Dante, huh?"

Lucia folded her hands on the table, not exactly looking at Lady. "Something like that..."

"I'll be honest, I didn't think that dude had the hots for anyone. He talks about parties but all he does is eat garbage and kill demons." She shrugged.

"It's as much as a surprise for me as it is for you." She couldn't help herself. "The last time I saw him..." She had understood why, but it didn't stop the pain. "He seemed distracted. I was so happy to see him, but I guess he couldn't really focus on anything else."

Trish made her way to the booth, a tray with two rum and cokes and a martini in hand. "That sounds like him." She chimed in, taking a seat.

"And then he just showed up." Lucia took the glass, sipping lightly. It was so sugary but the rum's burn was worth it. 

"If I saw him on my doorstep after he ditched me, I'd've beat his ass." 

Lucia smirked as she recalled his return. "Well, that's exactly what happened...sorta." The ladies leaned forward, very much anticipating her next words. She recounted nearly everything, from their first battle, to their rematch on the beach.

"Damn, I would have paid some good money to see that. It's fun seeing Dante fight demons, but they're all basically walking punching bags. You held your own with him though." Lady was on her third drink by the tale's end. Lucia was up to her fifth.

"So I think the more important question is...what was that favor Dante wanted anyway?" Trish leaned forward.

Lucia felt flush as she recalled the night they shared his mat. "It was...nothing serious. Just uh, wanted to share the bed." They both grinned. "Not like that! We are...not there."

"Yet?" Lucia had a sneaking suspicion that they were having fun teasing her. She wondered if it was the same for Dante.

"Not ever." She smiled sadly. Her tolerance was lower than she realized, as she began to feel a different warmth. "As pathetic as it sounds, despite all this, I don't think we'll ever hit that point. I've known nothing but the island my entire life. I've never known the embrace, not of man, not of woman. I was built to fight, and nothing more." She knocked back another glass.

"You really think that?" Lady smiled sadly.

"I may have killed my maker, but that doesn't mean I am not still at his whims."

Trish sighed, reaching over to pat her hand. "I mentioned we were the same earlier, right?" Lucia nodded as she chewed on the ice. "I was built to lure Dante to his death, but I failed at that. In that failure, I was given a second chance. Mundus is long gone, I'm not still trying to kill Dante, am I?"

"I mean sometimes it seems like it." Lady chimed in, laughing behind her glass.

"All I'm saying is, Dante's an idiot, but he's not one to toy with people, at least not when he cares for them so much. I can tell he can't even put that into words."

"I suppose it's less him, and more me. It's just not something I can believe so easily. Who's to say he won't leave again?"

"Has he?"

"No."

"I just think it's easier for you to believe it so you don't have to take a chance." 

Lucia remembered what Matier told her. She went quiet for a while, staring into her glass. "Matier, my mother, she told me, that I had long buried the idea that this was meant to be long ago." She popped a few bits of melted ice into her mouth. "I suppose I was more content in thinking this was fleeting, because it's easier."

"Listen, we've known you less than a day, but I can already tell you're a keeper. I'd sweep you up off your feet myself if I could."

"What Lady means is that you're very much worth more than you think you are. Dante's just shit at showing it, but I can tell he cares."

"I was worried that none of you would like me, but you've all been so kind to me." She grinned, her cheeks filled with color. "Dante surrounds himself with such good people...it's no wonder he's been able to go on."

Lady suddenly popped up on her side of the booth, bringing her in for a side hug. "From now on, you're welcome to stop by the offices whenever you want, you can even leave Dante behind."

Lucia laughed and nodded, tears dotting the corners of her eyes. She returned the hug in equal force as Trish ordered more drinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i know it's not really clear, but i feel like somehow lucia and trish never met, but trish knows enough about her from dante, since they probably talked about it at length once he came back from hell and once lucia left...next up, fortuna! i post snippets of wips on twitter btw so if that's your thing i'm @dantefucker on twitter!


	5. Divide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucia and Dante make their way to Fortuna. Reunions are made and reminders are delivered of memories long lost.

Her head was pounding. The lights were so bright, she didn't dare open her eyes. Her limbs moved, but with a delay. She felt as if she was floating, with nothing beneath her. Something heavy trudged up from somewhere. The sound of it hitting the ground got louder and louder until it stopped abruptly. Something creaked open, and the sound reverberated through her skull.

"You awake yet?"

Lucia groaned, bringing the covers as far above her as she could.

"It's 3pm...daylight's burning."

It took her a moment before she found her voice. "What...What happened?" She heard the loud creaking again, the door clicking shut. Dante's footfalls remained heavy until she felt the bed shift under a new weight.

"You had a hell of a good night." He chuckled, placing a hand on what he presumed was her head.

She felt a weight against her forehead, and pushed against it, the pressure helping with her headache. "I didn't realize..." She coughed. "That alcohol could do so much to someone like me."

"You thirsty?" He felt her head move underneath him, it looked like nodding.

Slowly, she peeled the sheets away, and sat up, a hand still covering her eyes. "My head is killing me...you do this nightly?"

Dante shrugged. "Barely affects me, maybe my tolerance comes from something else..." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a couple pills. "Oh, and I got some aspirin because killer hangovers give even worse headaches."

She grasped forward blindly until he put the pills in her palm. He handed her a bottle of water, making sure to uncap it before doing so. "Thank you...and I'm sorry for any trouble I caused." She guzzled it down, placed the bottle aside, and threw the covers back over. 

Dante thought back to the night before. It was nearly 3am when the trio stumbled inside. For some reason, Lucia was in her Devil Trigger form, trailing feathers behind her. Lady was fawning over how soft they felt, an arm around her neck.

"Evening ladies." He mumbled, a magazine resting on his face, as he lay on the couch.

Lady, nor Trish, paid him any mind as they giggled to themselves. He knew Trish played up her drunkenness, since the stuff barely affected her. Lucia flew over, plucking the rag off his face. She grabbed both his hands and pulled him up into the air. Amused by the display, he just let her, going into his own Devil Trigger so he wouldn't be tossed around like a toy. To the others, it looked like a clumsy dance as they flew to and fro.

Lucia's Devil Trigger ran out first, and so she let him go, landing unsteadily on her feet.

"Have fun?" He landed next to her, deactivating his, and guided her to the couch as she wobbled around. She nodded, and crashed against it. Almost immediately, he could see her eyes begin to sink down, her body going slack.

He turned to the other two, who were making out on a nearby chair. "Bedroom's free right?" Trish waved, not really paying attention.

He returned to Lucia, who had already begun lightly snoring. Slowly, he picked her up, trying not to rouse her from her sleep. He had made his way up to the top of the stairs, when he felt her press harder against his chest. By reflex, he stopped his breathing completely.

He could hold it for as long as he needed to, but with her in his arms, and her being to close to him, he felt like he was suffocating. As he pushed the door with his back, and as the dingy lights were replaced with the moonlight coming through the windows, he felt his heart swell, beads of sweat dotting his forehead.

As quickly as he could without bothering her, he lay her on the bed. It killed him how beautiful she looked. An impulse flared up, he wanted to wake her up, and hope even in her drunken haze, that she'd understand just how much she meant to him. He wanted to hold her, staying in bed with her forever.

Instead, he gave her one last look and turned around, heading to the door.

"Dante..." He froze. "Dante, don't go..."

He finally exhaled. "I won't."

He took a seat next to her on the bed. She grabbed his hand. They stayed like that for a while. He could hear her begin to lightly snore again. He sat there until her hand finally fell from his. He sat there for a while more before he finally left, the ring of the phone below snapping him out of his trance.

Returning to reality, he smiled to himself. "You didn't cause any trouble. Just fell asleep real fast." 

She shifted under the sheets. "That's all?"

"Must be super tired still. Maybe we should have left on a later ship. Anyway, you get some more rest, there's no rush, we can stay as long as we need."

"If you say so..." She mumbled, drifting quickly off to sleep.

\--

They stayed for two weeks, Dante lazing around at the office while Lucia accompanied Lady and Trish on a few jobs. At first, Lucia refused any compensation, but with some prodding, she finally budged, taking a small cut in the form of food and some new clothes, as she noticed some of the ones she packed looked a fair bit more dingy in comparison.

After a call to Morrison, and a few tear-filled goodbyes, they boarded another ship, heading to Fortuna. Once on deck, they took similar spots from their first trip. This time however, Lucia seemed a lot happier, reclining as the sun kissed her skin.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I wish I had met them so much sooner." She sat up and lifted her sunglasses, her eyes gleaming. "To think of all that I missed while I stayed back home...we'll see them again soon, won't we? I'm sure Matier wouldn't mind holding down the fort while we helped them out some more." She clenched her fists in excitement. "Maybe we could open a branch of Devil May Cry in the city, just like Nero and Nico have in Fortuna--"

"Woah, slow down babe." He chuckled. "I love the enthusiasm but I'm gonna take a break from the business for a while."

Her shoulders slumped, but she knew a break of his was well-deserved. "Well...think about it at least! I already have a few people from my town who would be excited to be true hunters."

"I mean I won't stop ya, I think it'd be a great idea." He cracked open a can of soda. "I just...don't wanna do anything that forces me to spend less time with you, you know?"

Lucia laughed. "We could always hunt together, just like old times."

He guzzled it down, giving a refreshed exhale. "Maybe...I'd like that."

When the stepped off the ship, hand in hand down the gangway, a car's horn could be heard not too far from them. The massive mobile branch of Devil May Cry was parked haphazardly by the ship.

"Hey!" Followed by a few more horn honks.

Nero was the one to step out first, taking Lucia's suitcase. "Hey, uh, Lucia, right?" She nodded. "Welcome to Fortuna." 

She finally got a good glimpse of her surroundings. Much of the architecture was stark white, with winding roads of cobblestone as far as the eye could see. There was a quaintness that reminded her of her town, but it seemed to be more modern. She fell in love immediately.

"What a beautiful city..." She remarked, as they shook hands.

"Yeah, it's pretty great..." Nico honked the horn again, waving. "Would you relax already?!"

"Hurry up!"

As they strolled up to the van, Nero moved to the passenger seat, but Nico locked the door, just as he was pulling the handle. "What the hell's your deal?!"

"Pretty girl sits in the front with me." She drawled. "You can stay in the back with Dante, catch up."

He sighed, opening up the back door. Dante followed close behind him, clasping a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry for leaving ya for so long....again."

Nero shook it off and took a seat on the couch. "Don't worry about it, old man. As long as you're not dead, it's fine."

Dante took a seat across from him, leaning forward. "Yeah, yeah. So how's Verg doing?"

Lucia walked over to the passenger's side, now open, and took a seat beside Nico. "I didn't forget about your offer, honey. Once we get back to home base, I'll look over all your weapons, and if you need 'em fixed or something, just holler."

"I have to pay you back somehow..."

"Just put it on Dante's tab!" She snorted, watching him look over from the rear-view mirror. "Just pulling your leg!" 

He sighed loudly, turning back to Nero, and lowering his voice. "So he's been doing well?"

"Yeah, he seems alright to me. He's spending less and less time in bed, so he'll probably...I dunno, it seems like he wants to leave."

"That sounds like him alright. Always wants to hide somewhere. But he's been helping out at least, yeah?" 

"Sometimes have to drag him out, but yeah he does his due. Y'know he tried sneaking out before he was even good enough to walk, let alone stand, but Kyrie just guilted him back in."

"That woman's more powerful than any demon, I swear." He laughed, and both sat in silence for a bit.

"So...what's the deal?" Nero looked over at the passenger's seat, catching a glimpse of her before turning back. "You never mentioned her before."

Dante chuckled and leaned back, crossing his legs, and putting his arms behind his head. "Met her in a weird point in my life. So weird I'm still convinced it's a dream." He could tell Nero was distracted. "If you wanna know about her, you can ask her yourself, y'know."

"It's just weird that out of the blue there's this completely new person."

"She's older than you, kid. I wouldn't say new." He leaned forward. "If you think I'm keeping secrets from you, like the whole 'Vergil's your dad' thing, then no I'm not doing that. Wasn't even keeping that first thing from you, you just never asked."

"Thanks for that by the way, asshole."

"You're welcome." He grinned, earning him a glare. 

"Anyway, I told the kids you're coming, and I swear they tried hopping into the van themselves just to see you. A few of 'em got adopted while you were gone, but I'm sure they miss you all the same."

"Damn, I wish I gave a proper goodbye then..."

Thankfully for them, on account of Nico's driving, the trip to their apartment was a lot faster, if a bit bumpier than normal.

"So, is Verg home?" Dante asked as they were stepping out.

"Last I saw, he went out." Nero had both his and Lucia's suitcases in tow. "Said he had something to do, but that was it." He sighed. "You missed a lot, y'know."

"Yeah, I know."

Lucia and Nico were the first at the door. Nico pulled out a set of keys, but before she could put them in, the door opened.

Kyrie was wiping a hand on her apron as she pulled the door open. "Oh you're back so soon? Nico, how was the traffic?"

"No such thing as traffic with me behind the wheel." She grinned.

"And you must be Dante's friend!" She beamed, extending a hand. Lucia shook it, noticing how strong the other's grip was.

"You must be...the young one's wife." Kyrie giggled at the mention.

Nero swooped in, already blushing, but giving her a quick kiss. As he wrapped his arm around her, she blushed in return. "Not yet...but one day soon, I hope." Lucia couldn't help but smile at the display of young, unabashed love. "But please, come in! I'm getting lunch ready for the kids, but if you can wait I can have something for all of you!"

Dante strolled up behind Lucia, putting an arm around her, mirroring Nero. "Miss me?"

"Dante! I appreciate the phone call, but call sooner next time, okay?" She let go of Nero for a moment to give him a hug. 

"Sorry about that...just didn't cross my mind." He hugged her back with one arm, not wanting to let go of Lucia with the other.

She ushered them all into the living room. It wasn't big, but it was comfortable, lined with a few decorations and a loveseat and couch, all white with a rose floral print. Kyrie had taken her jacket and hung it on a nearby rack. Nico and Nero took a seat on the loveseat, acting like a pair of kids, while Lucia took a seat on the couch, Dante on the armrest.

"Actually, Dante, could you come into the kitchen and help out? I know the kids'd be excited to see you." Dante followed her into the kitchen, but not before giving Lucia a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. 

A few moments of silence passed before Nico spoke. "Still can't believe Dante scored such a doll like you."

Nero scoffed. "You say that about nearly every pretty lady you find." 

Nico shoved him. "Ignore this idiot, he doesn't have eyes."

Nero sighed and shook his head. "So...I don't think Dante really ever mentioned you. Granted he didn't mention much, guy keeps a lot of secrets."

"I've heard that a lot so far...not that I blame him." She cleared her throat. "Our time together was brief, but he helped me out more than he could ever know." Her hands went to the little purse around her neck. "Did you know the demon we fought together was the same demon Sparda fought?"

"Didn't even know Dante fought a demon with you." 

"Woah, no way! You got a piece of him left or something, I'd love to build something cool with it!"

"You would have to ask Dante, I believe he dealt the final blow...but yes, the demon Argosax, Sparda had helped my mother and the clan defeat him, which is how she came to meet him." She smiled. "And in the same way, he was how I came to know Dante. Fate works in interesting ways."

"Did your ma ever tell you about Sparda? I'm sure she's got some juicy details."

"Nothing that the legend couldn't tell me...though apparently he was a lot more polite than his children seem to be." She laughed. "But all the same, she can tell Dante is Sparda's son, they're a lot more similar in ways that counts....or so she says."

Dante held two milk crates, one stacked on the other, as Kyrie pulled out a wagon with a couple more crates. All were filed with white paper bags, which held the kids lunches. Immediately, the children swarmed them both some tugging on his coat, others vainly reaching for the paper bags.

Kyrie laughed at the display. "Now, now! Everyone'll get one, but please calm down!"

Placing the crates down, Dante pointed at the group. "Listen to her, or I won't play with ya!" The kids froze, some backing away to form a line, others being dragged along to behave.

"I've never seen them so well-behaved..." 

He shrugged. "Guess they missed me that much."

"They're not the only ones, I'm sure." She grinned. 

"Aw, Kyrie, you're too sweet..." He grinned in return, handing out the last bags to the smallest of the bunch. He knelt down to give them a few head pats before sending them off their way.

"Of course I did! But..." She looked away. "I'm sure your brother misses you very much."

"Does he know I'm here?" She shook her head. "Well shit, where is he?"

"Language!" She furrowed her brow, waggling a finger at him. "But I think I know where he might be." She picked up the empty crates and made her way back inside, Dante following close behind.

They made their way back to the kitchen, Dante taking a seat at the table, while Kyrie opened the fridge, pulling out some deli meats, cheese, and condiments. Assembling the first sandwich, she cleared her throat. "I normally mind my business, and I doubt Nero cares where Vergil goes as long as he comes back...but I noticed he frequents a small cafe not too far from here."

"A cafe huh...what, your coffee not good enough?" 

"Please, it's just instant coffee!" She smiled as she handed him a plate. "He might actually be there right now, as I haven't seen him around." She wiped her hands on her apron and grabbed a pen, quickly scribbling something on a napkin. "I didn't get the address but these directions should be enough!"

Dante scarfed down his sandwich and darted out of the kitchen, napkin in hand. Kyrie followed behind him, carrying 3 dishes.

Lucia saw him speeding past, and she reached out, brushing against his arm. Knocked out of his tunnel vision, he turned to her, leaning in. "Be back soon, gotta deal with some business real quick." He looked over at the others. "You gonna be fine by yourself?" 

She looked over and nodded. Dante gave her hand a quick squeeze before he raced out the door.

"The hell's he run off to?"

Kyrie moved to answer before she realized her mistake. "Oh, Lucia! Do you eat meat? I completely forgot to ask."

"Oh yes of course. This looks delicious by the way...do not tell Dante, but a diet of pizza can become...tiring after a bit." She smirked, taking a big bite. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been.

Dante hit the pavement, sprinting down the middle of the street, glancing over at Kyrie's directions every once in a while. Weaving through sidestreets, he finally made it to the smallest sidestreet, buildings crowding around at nearly every side. Yet, it was emptier than all the others, no storefronts, or even apparent entrances to places, except for one.

He spotted his twin sitting at a white table outside, hands wrapped around a white mug. Rather than greet him in his normally reckless way, he swerved around Vergil, taking a seat across from him.

"And here I thought you were dead."

"That's a lie and you know it." They shared a smile. "Only one that's supposed to kill me is you, right?"

"You got that right." He placed his mug aside, now picking at a blueberry tart. Soon the smile faded. "So, she told you where to find me?"

"She's worried about you, can't really blame her." He crossed his arms, resting his chin on top. "How you feeling anyway?"

"I'm well enough." He finally took a bite, closing his eyes.

They were interrupted by the barista, which Vergil had begun a rapport with. It was more a comforting familiarity than anything else. "Hello! Would you like to order?"

"What do you recommend, Verg?"

"He'll have a strawberry panna cotta." She nodded, quickly writing down the order. She glanced at both of them for a moment, noticing shared features. Heading back inside, she wondered if they were brothers.

"Fancy..." He rose up, now resting his head on his hand. "So this is where you've been hiding?"

"I could ask the same of you, little brother." He shot a sidelong glance before returning to the tart. "Surprised you even returned from wherever you left to."

"You're the last person to go around asking about me, especially to Morrison." He shifted hands, no longer looking at Vergil. "Surprised he even spilled."

"An amicable man, if a bit indelicate." He recalled their meeting, though it was short, Morrison was delighted to speak to him. It seemed to be a morbid curiosity, but he paid it no mind.

"That's a nice way of putting it."

The barista returned in no time, placing a small glass filled with cream and strawberry syrup and a small spoon. She was now sure they were brothers, even possibly twins. "If there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to ask." 

Dante had already begun to dig in, syrup staining his lips and teeth. "Lemme get another one of these!" He flashed a grin at her.

"There are no tabs here." Vergil quipped, returning to his coffee. 

"Actually been saving up while I was gone, so ha." Dante had managed to get some cream and syrup on his nose of all things. Vergil shook his head.

"What business have you in Vie de Marli, anyway?" He could feel Dante shrink at his question, avoiding his gaze completely now, the spoon absentmindedly swirling what remained of the panna cotta. Vergil squinted his eyes, trying to read the other's features.

Not that there had ever been time, but Dante never had the chance to tell him about Lucia, and because of that, he felt strangely embarrassed. He exhaled through his nose. "Was overdue. Went to go see someone."

"Someone?" Though he asked, he now began to understand what the other was feeling. It seemed to spark distant memories long forgotten. "Someone...who?"

"We met years ago on a job. She waited for me while I was trapped in hell, can you believe that?" He chuckled nervously, touching the back of his neck. He quickly wiped away the mess he was making with the other hand.

"You're acting like the most popular child in school asked you to a dance." Even for Dante, it was so strange seeing him so vulnerable. But he realized quickly why Dante was reduced to such a display. 

Suddenly memories came flooding back, as if his embarrassment unlocked stores once thought completely gone. He thought Mundus had erased it all. He remembered seeing her, someone who would have just been a stranger in these same cobbled streets, he remembered meeting her gaze. Unlike the few humans he came across, there was no fear in her eyes. She had been like a shadow to him, at times he didn't even realize. He remembered hands brushing against one another, he remembered her voice. He remembered how she made him feel comfortable. His hands became fists, nails digging into his palm.

Dante's display was of a vulnerability unique to someone in love. But to him, that couldn't be possible. Dante taking anything seriously sounded very unlike him.

"You okay Verg?" Dante's voice snapped him out of the trance.

"So, you left me in such a state as you went off with a paramour?" He quickly cooled off, balled fists now folded on top of the hardcover closed under him.

Dante snarled. "I left you in good hands. Thought that was good a time as any to make up for lost time." The feeling at the table shifted.

"You weren't one for chasing skirts, why begin now?" 

"If you have a fuckin' problem then maybe say that instead." He could see a flicker of unnatural light in his twin's eyes.

He scoffed in return. "There's no problem, but you seem to be incredibly wound up, brother. Have I perhaps struck a nerve?" Dante was careless, and he was naive.

"Looks like I struck yours. Did I knock a memory loose?" He was naive, but not when it came to matters of his own flesh and blood. "I don't know what happened with Nero's ma, and I don't know what the hell you expect from me, but I can tell you you're already wrong."

Maybe Vergil was wrong. "So who is she?"

"What do you care?"

"She's here, isn't she?"

Dante felt like he was being toyed with, Vergil going back and forth out of nowhere. He must have truly struck a nerve. "You lookin' to avoid her?"

He hesitated. "I'm sure she's looking to avoid me instead."

Dante thought back to their conversations whenever Vergil came up. He didn't really speak about the older twin favorably, though that wasn't really his fault. Vergil was the furthest thing from a saint. "She's a grown woman, she can make her decisions, regardless of what I told her."

"I see."

"To answer your question, she's...a lot. In a good way. A beautiful woman, red hair, strong green eyes, could kick ass with the best of 'em. Did you know apparently her ma knew our father?"

"Is that so?"

"Yup, helped seal up some asshole who popped back up for me to take out for good. She's uh...not human." 

Vergil grew cold. "And does this one also resemble her?" He put a hard emphasis on 'her'. If there was another demon that was a pathetic facade of their dear mother, he felt he may actually kill Dante truly, then and there.

"No, she's her own woman, demon or not. It's not like she's some Empusa Queen or anything. And before you ask, no she's not a succubus either. If she was, she's doing a real shit job of it." He chuckled, noticing his anger. "She's just been trying to live her life as any one of us have. And part of that...for whatever reason, she wants to spend her life with me."

The barista brought over two panna cotta, placing one each in front of them. Dante grabbed the other and scarfed it down as the other sat in silence.

"So Vergil is your father?" Lucia finished her meal first, wiping the crumbs away with a nearby napkin.

Nero hesitated. "Something like that."

Lucia had only heard parts of the story, so she had hoped she could gleam more information from Nero himself. Although his initial reaction gave her worry. "I'm sorry if this is a personal topic..."

"It's fine, it's just...very weird I guess." He looked for an out. "You mentioned your ma, but no dad?"

"Matier...my mother...she is actually not of blood. She took me in, as my...creator abandoned me." She folded her hands together and looked at her empty plate.

Nero picked up on the use of the word 'creator'. "Oh, so you're like Trish, huh...well something I've kinda learned is, it doesn't really matter who made you, just who was with you, who raised you, things like that."

"Yes, I've learned that as well over the years. You still must feel lucky to find your family after all this time...at least with Dante."

"Dante's....he's something alright. I do appreciate him, even if he's a jackass sometimes. But..." He looked at Nico and then back at her and started to laugh. "Man, fathers are shit aren't they."

"You can say that again!" Nico howled in laughter, slapping her knee. Lucia joined in the laughter, a hand on her chest.

"You know...this entire trip, I have been worried I would have problems with everyone, but it has been the complete opposite."

"Problems? Anyone gives you problems and I'll smack 'em into the dirt." Nico cracked her knuckles. "Nero's a loser but he's got a big heart too, so if anyone would give you guff, it wouldn't be him." She snorted.

Nero sighed dramatically but smiled. Kyrie placed her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them. "We would never give you trouble! Any friend of Dante's is a friend of ours." She moved over from her seat on the couch and went over to Lucia, giving her a hug. "I'm not sure how long you two will be staying, but you've always got a place here, okay?"

Lucia hugged her back tightly, tears dotting the corners of her eyes. That had been happening a lot, but she couldn't help it. She was overwhelmed in a way she wasn't used to to begin with. It made her realize how Dante came out the way he did, with his unwavering belief in humanity, because from what she saw, they believed in him, and cared for him and for themselves.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." She beamed as Kyrie smiled back at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter feels a little weird imo but im building up to something you'll see next chapter...this is almost done too i can't believe it... i hope you guys have been enjoying so far!! i haven't written so much in ages... comments and kudos forever appreciated!


	6. Estranged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late, rainy night, and a man at the table she didn't expect. Lucia looks for peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one was kinda a hard chapter to write, writer's block kicking my ass, and old habits keeping me from trying to Improve [i may have stuck to them in this chapter i honestly can't tell xd;;]  
> this started and ended in a weird spot so i'll probably have a much shorter sorta epilogue/final chapter to end it all [and tie some stuff between Divergence together]
> 
> cc and kudos always appreciated! thank you for reading!!

As much as she tried, she knew she wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon. Her body had grown accustomed, down to the minute, to waking up in the middle of the night. Slowly, she opened her eyes, a faint light coming from the kitchen, and more lights from the windows on the other side of the living room. As quietly as she could, she slid off the couch, tiptoeing over a sleeping Dante, and made her way to the kitchen.

There was a freshly brewed pot of instant coffee waiting in the kitchen. She wondered if Kyrie knew, or if she had her own late nights as well. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she searched through the cupboards, finding a sole mug on the top shelf. She poured some coffee into it, adding a few cubes of sugar, and some creamer. As she stirred it all up, she looked to the window. It was still mostly dark outside, with the glass was fogged up, raindrops pelting it. She remembered it being beautiful earlier, with not a single cloud in the sky. It seemed the weather in Fortuna was unpredictable.

Once satisfied, she took her mug and made her way outside, being careful not to wake Dante up. She was surprised he wasn't already awake, but it was better this way. He needed the rest.

Slipping on her boots, she made her way to a small table with a couple of old plastic chairs, right next to the front door, both covered by an awning. To her surprise, both the seats and table were dry. Taking another sip of her drink, she threw herself onto the nearest plastic chair, crossing her legs. The plastic creaked under the weight but remained steady. 

So much had happened in the last month, all of it good but...there was just something missing. No matter how many times she heard it, from Nico, from Nero, Trish, and Lady, she felt like it couldn't be true. Was she really welcome? Maybe she had been the odd one out the entire time, unable to fit into this mold they all built for one another. She was a stranger who had only been with Dante for such a short period of time. He had come, he had gone. Just another chapter in his long life.

She rested on her arm, closing her eyes. She wasn't tired, not in the normal way, she was exhausted in a way that seemed to make her soul weary. The sound of raindrops hitting the awning seemed to silence the growing doubts plaguing her mind, if only temporarily. She had been traveling for a bit, being active, being social, to the best of her ability, but it was a hard thing to maintain.

She took a deep breath, the smell of wet earth filling her lungs. Combined with the warmth of the mug in her hand, with the endless stream of rain, it felt nice. It was a peace she hadn't felt in a long time. 

With any peace, however, it would be fleeting. She didn't know how long she had been out of it, but she was pulled back into reality, the screeching of plastic against concrete rousing her from her daze. She didn't open her eyes, but she could feel someone else there, taking the seat across from her.

She pulled herself up, quickly wiping away the drool with her sleeve. Her eyes were still closed as she took a few gulps from her now lukewarm coffee. Placing the mug back down, she opened her eyes, and to her surprise, was the side profile of a man who looked nearly identical to Dante. His hair was as starkly white as his, but it was slicked back, drops of rain falling from strands. 

From what she could tell, his gaze was unfocused, only looking towards the horizon, though it was clouded by the rolling fog and the heavier downpour. Peeking out from the side of the table, seemed to be the hilt of a Japanese sword. He seemed to pay her no mind, and she wondered if he knew she was even sitting across from him to begin with.

Her first instinct was to introduce herself, as she had done countless times before, but decided against it. She would wait until he acknowledged her first. Resting back down on her arm, she remembered the stories Dante told her. She recalled their many feuds, some ending in more than just some bruised egos. She remembered how difficult at times it has been for Dante to talk about Vergil, how his gaze would move elsewhere, or how he would trail off, or how he would laugh at things that didn't seem to be funny at all, like he was recounting an inside joke only the two of them knew.

"You must be the woman Dante spoke of." She was surprised when he spoke. She didn't think he would sound so...nasally.

She wondered what Dante had told him. "I am she. You must be Dante's brother, Vergil." He nodded in response.

Minutes went by of complete silence. There were questions to be asked, but neither seemed to have the energy to ask them. 

She was sitting beside the man who had tried to kill Dante countless times, and, as far as she knew, still had the desire to kill him, or at the very least, beat him for good. In the beginning, she had wanted to fight him herself, angry on his behalf for causing him so much pain.

"I did not think there would be something more important than settling our score, but he continues to surprise me." He scoffed, now resting on his palm.

"I suppose that's something we can agree on." She replied dryly. With no energy for a facade, she could only be honest.

Vergil turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "What is your name?"

"Lucia." She met his gaze. 

"Dante says you are a demon." His features momentarily hardened.

"That's right." It wasn't something she was fond of remembering. She wondered if Vergil knew that somehow. "Is that a problem?" She took another gulp of her coffee, finishing it.

"Perhaps." She saw as a hand reached for his blade, though all he did was rest a hand on its hilt. 

"I suppose that is your problem then, not mine." She was unarmed, her weapons stored in the garage. Aside from her Devil Trigger, which was already limited to begin with, she was effectively at a large disadvantage. 

Much to her surprise, he laughed. 

"You are a strange man." She admitted. "Dante spoke as if you were the most fearsome being in both this world and the demon world."

"You do not fear me?" He laughed again, more quietly this time. She hesitated, before shaking her head. "I see." He recalled their conversation earlier. It seems he was indeed wrong about Dante after all.

The conversation seemed to end there, for a time. Lucia returned to resting her head on folded arms, turning her head towards the horizon. Vergil moved his hand from the hilt of his blade, to underneath his coat, producing a small black book.

Absentmindedly, still not looking towards him, she asked, "What are you reading?"

"William Blake." He answered, his face still to the page.

She perked up, the name sounding very familiar. Matier had a small, but broad collection of books. She would sometimes ask Matier to read to her, as the sound of her mother's voice could lull her to a restful sleep. 

"...on rencontre sa destinée...souvent par des...chemins qu’on prend pour...l’éviter!" Vergil looked to her, eyebrows furrowed. "Ah, must not be him." 

Vergil's features softened. "That isn't Blake, but rather de la Fontaine."

"Ah, I suppose I'm not as well-versed as I thought." She placed a hand on her mouth, brow still furrowed, trying to remember anything from the library to no avail.

"Did Dante put you up to this?"

"No, no! He never mentioned it." She sighed. "Bits and pieces, but...not everything."

"Then you must know our ongoing struggle. What we've done to each other." The night had been good at hiding how tired he looked, but a few lightning flashes revealed hollow eyes.

"I know that you are still hurting." She smiled sadly. The rain only fell harder.

"Unfair that you know more of me, and I only know your name." He could no longer look at her, though he couldn't help but smile. He wasn't sure if it was from a pleasant feeling or not.

"I'll answer your questions, within reason." 

And so he asked. "You are not here to kill him, or me?"

"I would be long dead if I tried." She smiled sadly, reminded of Arius telling her she would one day betray humankind. "As for you, even if I wanted to, it is not my place."

"If that is the case, then why remain with him? He clearly hasn't much to offer." He snorted, recalling the dump of an office he held.

"Because..." She knew why but admitting it, saying it out loud, not even to Dante himself, it felt strange. "I love him."

Vergil held his breath, surprised. Dante gushed about her, but hearing her say it directly knocked the wind out of him. "Does he love you?" He knew the answer, but he wondered how honest Dante had been with her.

She hesitated. "I hope he does."

Sensing her immediate discomfort, which in turn made him uncomfortable, he changed the subject quickly. "You are a demon, which means you must serve someone."

She explained her origins, and how she turned away from them, even if it was unintentional. Vergil smirked. She could not compare to their father, but her words still struck a chord with him. She made her own destiny, and did it despite the overwhelming force of her creator.

Vergil sat, almost transfixed by her tale. Memories uncovered during his earlier conversation with Dante came back, and he could almost see her again. The woman who Vergil had come to love. She was no demon rebelling, but she had her own rebellious spirit, despite living in Fortuna, a place that had once been under the spell of a cult-like Order. Distantly, he wondered if he and Dante shared the same type, so to speak.

Coming back to reality, he cleared his throat. "I suppose I was wrong about you then." Lucia took that as a victory.

"You and Dante fought together, but have you ever fought each other?"

"We sparred a few times." She remembered their ties and subsequent tiebreakers, they would almost be evenly matched, if he didn't have a few tricks up his sleeve. "Though, I think he's beaten me just a bit more."

She saw his hand move away from his sword, now resting on the closed book on the table. "I suppose fighting you would be of no use then."

She shot him a side-long glance, almost ready to fight him then and there, but decided against it. She just wanted to relax. "For the best really."

The rainfall was lighter, though thunder and lightning remained. Lucia felt something brush her shoulder. Before she could turn around, heavy arms wrapped around her shoulders, something resting on top of her head.

"You two acquainted already? Makes my job easier then." She could feel his laughter vibrating through her body.

"Did we wake you?" She turned up to look at him. He grinned and shook his head.

"You do her a disservice, Dante." Vergil spoke, his gaze still on Lucia. She froze, suddenly regretting her confession earlier. "Here I thought she was merely of the rank-and-file." She sighed quietly in relief.

Dante scoffed. "You're so hung up on the demon shit, forgetting your own dad served the king of hell once upon a time. Your ma fell in love with a demon, so I guess it runs in the family." He stuck his tongue out, his embrace around her growing tighter. Lucia couldn't help but laugh at how silly he sounded.

"I suppose you're right." He acquiesced, surprising them both.

"You're damn right." Lucia shook her head. "Anyway, you two gossip while I was taking a nap?"

Vergil spoke before Lucia could. "I'm surprised you got someone who's actually cracked open a book." His fingers tapped on the hardcover. 

"Smart /and/ beautiful, I sure know how to pick 'em." Lucia playfully slapped one of the arms wrapped around her.

"It's nothing, really. Matier would just read to me, and let me go through her books. She had an interesting collection."

"Maybe you should lend Dante a tome or two. He hasn't read a book since grade school, and no, trashy magazines don't count."

"I read them for the articles, fuck off." He laughed.

The rain was now a drizzle, the sky becoming a lighter blue. She hadn't realize how long they'd been outside, just talking. 

Vergil was the first to stand, taking his book with one hand, sliding it back into his coat pocket, and the sword with the other. He didn't say a word to either as he left, but he stopped by Dante's side, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. He didn't turn back to face him, but there was an air of understanding in the gesture. It was as if he was saying 'Goodbye, and take care.' Dante nodded as Vergil went inside, closing the door behind him.

Dante took Vergil's seat, resting his head on crossed arms. "And here I thought he was gonna try to kill you." 

"Maybe not kill, but he did want to fight...until I said you beat me."

"You shoulda fought him anyway, would have taken him easy."

"Maybe so...but I'm not here for that. I'd rather not my first meeting with your family end violently." She did hold onto Vergil's comment though. If there were ever another chance for a fight, she wouldn't refuse.

Dante shrugged. "Every time I caught up with Vergil, it ended up with Rebellion through my chest, I figured that would happen with anyone else."

"It almost sounds like you wanted it to happen."

"Any excuse for Vergil to get a well-deserved ass kicking, is a good one." They both shared a laugh as Dante reached across the table. Lucia took his hand. 

As their laughter faded, Dante spoke, his voice now soft. "He didn't do or say anything worth fighting him over, did he?" She shook her head, smiling. "Good. He's an asshole but I figure he's got better manners than that."

The birds began to wake, loud chirping as some landed on the awning. He noticed her mug. "Do you want more coffee?" She nodded. Dante came and returned quickly with the entire pot of coffee, another mug, and some sugar packets in his free hand. He poured them both from a reheated pot.

"You were right." Lucia spoke before taking a sip of her coffee. "About it being fine I mean. Though your brother is....a strange man, he was much less than I thought he'd be."

"You say that but...you don't seem convinced."

She smiled, not surprised her thin veneer hid nothing. "It's just. It's hard." She looked down into her mug, its dark color showing a nearly clear reflection. "When you've held onto not being worth anything for so long, a month of people telling you otherwise, can't really change that."

"Then I suppose we'll just have to stay here longer then." He gulped down his mug and poured himself another.

"That's not what I mean." In all honesty, she wasn't sure what she meant.

"I know it's not easy." He began, clearing his throat. "I'll be honest, I feel like that a lot of the time myself."

Lucia was taken aback. "You? The legendary son of Sparda? You've felled the strongest of demons, and even the king of hell himself!"

"Yeah, well...that doesn't really mean jackshit to me." He sighed. "What good could that all be when I couldn't even save the people I cared about the most."

"You were a child...and Vergil is here still." She frowned, reaching for his hand.

He took it, but looked away. "I guess I understand even better now. It takes a lot longer than just a month to sorta cement these things into your head."

"So we'll just...remind each other then." She squeezed his hand tight. "It won't be easy, and we'll forget, but we'll keep reminding each other until we won't need to."

He laughed. "Y'know...not to get all sappy, but..." He knew what he wanted to say, at least the gist of it, but he was measuring whether it was the right time. Lucia noticed, leaning forward on the table, bringing his hand, still clasped on hers, to her cheek. 

"You're just so damn..." He was visibly flustered now. "You're amazing, you know that? Like..." He huffed, squeezing her hand tight, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. He was trying, and failing to meet her gaze. "You make a guy fall in love all over again." 

"I love you, Dante." Even as the words came out of her mouth, she tensed up, realizing she was caught up in the moment.

"I love you too, Lucia, if that wasn't obvious as hell already." 

He placed his mug on the table, and went over to her side, not letting go of her for a moment. He gently pulled her up into an embrace, resting his head on her shoulder, albeit awkwardly. She returned his embrace with as much strength as she could muster, enjoying his warmth, as the cool morning air began to give her a stuffy nose. His warmth also made her incredibly drowsy. The coffee wasn't doing its job, but for once, she was grateful. 

"Tired?" She mumbled a 'yes' into his chest. "We can sleep in today, if you want." He felt her nod. 

They made their way back inside, never letting go of the other the entire time. They crashed onto the couch, Lucia laying on top. Dante ran his fingers through her hair as Lucia drifted off to sleep. Not long after she started gently snoring, Dante felt himself being pulled into slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quote Lucia references is translated [in one way] as 'One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it'. It's by Jean de la Fontaine if you're curious!


End file.
